Dragonball Z: Alter Age
by TheWriteFiction
Summary: After unwittingly getting shot up into space in his uncle's pod- Gohan is discovered and recruited by Cooler's elite, and becomes an integral member of the Armoured Squadron. Together with his new teammates, the demi-Saiyan sets out to conquer worlds, fight armies, topple demons, defeat Saiyans, and wage war against Frieza and his family. [GohanHarem] [Arc: Lord Slug Saga]
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:** I had this idea pop up in my head while I was looking up some what-if videos for DBZ.

What if Gohan's human nature was replaced by his Saiyan nature? What kind of Dragonball Z story could I make from that concept?

Since it sounded so interesting, I'm deciding to try it out. Let me know what you guys think.

* * *

**Dragonball Z**

_**Alter Age**_

_Prologue_

"_He's so cute," Chi-Chi spoke as she gazed down at the peacefully sleeping form of her newborn son, tucked safely beneath the sheets of his crib and lightly snoring away._

_Goku, a look of innocent curiosity reflected on his face, tilted his head as he looked the child over. "Gosh. Look at how tiny he is."_

"_Of course he is. He's a baby, silly," Chi-Chi giggled, glancing across at her husband to see the odd look he was giving the newborn._

_As the couple stood side-by-side, gazing down at their quietly dozing child and marveling at how sweet and innocent he looked, the pair were interrupted by a stutter from the wife's father. Standing behind them with his fingers pressed together, the hulking, burly form of the Ox King murmured nervously under his breath before speaking up._

"_Umm. Don't you two… think it's time that you give the boy a name?"_

_Looking back at her father, Chi-Chi felt a big smile tug at her lips as she straightened her back. "I thought of one. It came to me last night while I was thinking about how I want our son to grow up." The woman proudly set her hands on her hips and lifted her chin in the air. "Our boy is going to become a brilliant scholar and doctor someday- one who will be able to make a name for himself and provide for his family. That's why we're going to name him Einstein."_

_Goku and the Ox King looked across at the woman strangely, before remarking in unison, __**"Einstein? You're kidding?"**_

_Unperturbed by their comment, Chi-Chi grinned broadly. "Hardly. Our boy's going to be called Einstein."_

_Hilariously enough, almost as soon as the woman had uttered the statement with conviction, her little boy in the crib suddenly started to wail. Turning around and picking the baby up, Chi-Chi promptly started to rock him gently as his cries echoed throughout the room and tears ran down his soft, puffy cheeks._

"_There, there," Chi-Chi cooed, trying to calm her newborn down as he continued to scream and kick unhappily._

_The Ox King, moving over to peer over his daughter's shoulder, looked down at the youngster curiously. "I don't think he likes the name you picked out for him, hun."_

"_Yeah," Goku followed up, at the same time giving his son an amused look. "Actually, I think he might hate it."_

"_Nonsense, dad. Goku," Chi-Chi replied, at the same time giving her child a smile. "Look. He's fine about the name, aren't you, Einstein?" After seeing the boy stare up at her for a couple of seconds, he then started wailing even harder, causing the mother to flinch at the sheer volume of the child's voice. "Uhh… okay. I think you guys might be right."_

_Goku chuckled as he then looked across at his two family members. "So then… what do you think we should call him?"_

_From there a rather interesting discussion unfolded between the members of the newly established Son Household, as the Ox King, Goku and Chi-Chi started debating over what the newborn's name should actually be. At first the grandfather pulled out a list of names that he'd scribbled out the afternoon before- a scroll's worth of titles that all involved the word 'Ox' in some creative way. Unfortunately, after reading through only a handful of them, the obviously irritated baby boy started crying loudly again and throwing a tantrum, and all of the poor old man's ideas were shelved until the end of time._

_Goku tried his best to come up with a few names as well to see how they would gel. Unfortunately though, almost each and every one of them involved food in some way and were promptly shot down by Chi-Chi, who refused to have her son go around with the name 'Bacon' for the rest of his life. The martial artist father was clearly very hungry right now and, seeing as how his thoughts weren't having any effect, resigned to having to remain in the room until they'd managed to come up with an appropriate moniker for their son._

_Eventually, after about an hour of standing about and making no progress, the three adults found themselves sitting separately around the baby's crib, staring at him thoughtfully as he waved his hands towards the hanging toys hovering over him- cooing all the while. Following a moment of intense silence, Goku then felt a sigh leave his lips._

"_Maybe I'll be able to come up with something while I'm fishing."_

"_Oh no. Absolutely not," Chi-Chi spoke up while glaring across at her husband. "You aren't leaving this house until you've come up with at least one decent name."_

_Seeing his wife and step-father staring across at him intently, Goku frowned and stood up. "One, huh? Okay then." He then took a deep breath, causing the pair in front of him to hold their breaths as they waited for his answer. But then all of that tension vanished when the father grinned and scratched his head sheepishly. "But could we do it after we eat first? I'm starving!"_

_His answer had Chi-Chi and the Ox King comically face plant the floor, which inevitably led to the wife scrambling back to her feet and then yelling at her husband._

"_You're hungry, huh?!" the woman bellowed, her fangs sharpened to that of daggers as she got right up into her surprised beloved's face. "How can you think of food when your son is lying there without a name?! I know you were raised in the woods, but I'm sure Gohan must have taught you some semblance of manners and common sense!" Unbeknownst to the pair, the moment Chi-Chi screamed the word Gohan, the baby boy in the crib gave a bright giggle- an event that immediately had the Ox King rise up and walk over to the crib. "Answer me, Goku! Were you taught any kind of practicality or judgement by Gohan while you were growing up?!"_

"_N-Not really. No," Goku replied with his head down, all the while completely unaware of the giggles rising up from his son's crib._

"_You just use the fact that you were raised in the woods as an excuse for being totally uncouth!" Chi-Chi barked once again._

_At that moment, the Ox King spoke up. "I… I think you found it, Chi-Chi."_

"_Found what?!" the woman shouted._

"_The name. Here, watch this," the Ox King chirped, before once again looking back down at the crib beneath him and whispering. "Gohan." The moment he said that, the baby boy in the red hat and singlet giggled happily, raising his hands and pawing at the air in a clear sign of joy. "See. He likes it. Gohan." Another bout of giggles and laughter left the boy's lips when he heard the name spoken once again._

_Both Goku and Chi-Chi moved over to the baby's cot and looked down at their child in amazement, watching him laugh and flail about happily upon hearing his grandfather repeat the name once more. It was in that moment the pair realized right away that they had finally nailed it, which in turn had the pair smile._

"_Oh gosh, dad. I think you're right," Chi-Chi exclaimed._

"_How cool. He really wants to have old grandpa's name. Wow," Goku also chirped._

_The Ox King smiled across at his son-in-law when he saw him reach over and wag his finger towards his little boy, who he felt reach up and wrap his tiny fingers around his digit. "I bet Gohan would be so proud if you named your son after him."_

"_Well. You hear that, Gohan? Is that what you want to be called?" Goku asked, grinning as he watched his son coo while holding his finger. "Gohan?" When he repeated the name in a baby-voice, the child beneath him giggled happily, at the same time waving his other hand in a clear sign of delight. "Heh-heh. Goha-WHOOOOOOOOOOOA."__** THUD!**_

_For a split second Chi-Chi and the Ox King thought they must've blinked, because the next thing they saw was Goku lying on his back on the other side of Gohan's crib, his hand still hanging over the edge of the child's barricade, and a bewildered look on his face. When the father and daughter duo walked over to where the young adult hero was lying, they looked down at his wide-eyed mug to see him look up at him._

"_Darling? Are you okay?" the concerned new mother asked, not exactly sure what'd happened. _

"_Y-Yeah. I'm okay, Chi," Goku stammered, slowly hoisting himself up and using the edge of his son's crib to steady himself. Blinking when he finally managed to regain his balance after his dizzying flip, the man looked up. "Man. I wasn't expecting that."_

"_How did you end up down there?" the Ox King asked, appearing just as confounded by the scenario. First Goku had been standing on the left-hand side of his son's crib and peering into it, and a split second later he was lying on his back on the right-hand side. It was a pretty perplexing riddle._

_It almost seemed like Goku had been thrown over the crib._

"_I'm… not sure…" the young adult replied, before slowly looking down at his baby boy to see him clapping his hands happily and giggling. "I think… Gohan may have picked me up… and threw me over his bed." It certainly felt like that'd happened. The boy had been holding onto his finger at the time. While he was busy playing with him, the boy's grip had tightened and the next thing Goku knew was his body being tossed into the air and slammed into the floor._

_Understandably Chi-Chi didn't believe the man one bit. "Oh, nonsense, Goku. Our boy's only a month old," the mother replied, moving over and picking the child up from his sheets. When she had the child sitting comfortably in her arms, the raven haired parent beamed at him. "You were probably leaning forward too much and slipped, you clumsy goof."_

_Goku blinked as he looked across at his wife and newborn, while the Ox King watched quietly from the sidelines. "But… it's true Chi-Chi. That's what happened."_

"_Sure it is, hun," the mother replied, rocking her son as he sat in her arms, cooing happily. "I mean, honestly? How could a baby- our own son- throw __**you**__\- a full-grown man- across the room? It's not like he's got freakish strength and martial arts talent like you." Upon seeing Goku's confounded gaze on her, Chi-Chi returned to smiling at her child as he stared back at her with his innocent charcoal eyes. "Besides… he's not going to grow up to become a fighter. He's going to become a scholar someday- someone who is smart, sensible, and has a good head on his shoulders. A dignified, productive member of society who will be able to provide for his family."_

_This statement had the listening Goku tilt his head. "You're… already planning his life that far ahead?"_

"_Of course," Chi-Chi replied, before raising her head and grinning proudly. "After all, a good mother always wants what's best for her child and her family. This one is going to make sure her boy grows up to become a proper, respectable gentleman- unlike his knucklehead of a father."_

_While Goku and the Ox King shared a look with one another, and Chi-Chi was busy daydreaming about the great man she envisioned her son becoming in the far distant future, the newborn Gohan stared up at his mother inquisitively for a few moments. After a few seconds of processing what she'd said, the infant child suddenly put on a deep, angry frown- giving clear indication that he didn't like the words or tone coming out of his parent's mouth._

_Not one bit._

* * *

From that moment on, time seemed to go by at a curiously fast pace for the Son family- perhaps because the days that came and went were filled with so much joy, excitement and intrigue.

The morning where the adults had found themselves gathered around the crib in the newborn Gohan's bedroom quickly became a distant memory for the small clan, as the days in Mount Paozu soon turned into weeks, and then those weeks transformed into months. Over that time, the tiny, close-knit family of three experienced a great many heartwarming memories and adventures together in the form of numerous outings and trips across the rolling, pristine valleys surrounding their humble little home.

As with all households of course, aside from their many small quests and turbulences, many small changes also started to take place for Goku, Chi-Chi and their son.

Seasons passed, and the young, seemingly innocent Gohan's physical, auditory, and processing abilities developed at a remarkably accelerated rate. At just four months of age, the boy had already began exhibiting traits and skills that a child a year older would already be showing, including babbling, spoken words, crawling, exploring, and even walking. By the next month, he'd virtually formed a basic understanding of simple spoken and visual language cues, and was able to move about of his own free will, while simulating activities that were almost akin to imaginative play.

This rapid growth in ability startled Chi-Chi at how speedily her boy was coming into his own element, which prompted her to view her child as some kind of exceptional, intellectual genius in the making. As soon as she got it in her head that her little Gohan was going to grow up to become someone truly special in the future, she quickly went about making plans to properly foster and scaffold his coming education.

Goku meanwhile, feeling his son had a really strong connection to his Grandpa, found a way to sew the four-star dragon ball on display in their living room into his son's cap, and gave it to him as a present for his first birthday. His mother had also come up with a new set of clothing for the toddler, consisting of a yellow and red jacket ensemble and pants resembling oriental, princely robes. For some reason the dotting Chi-Chi thought that it suited her boy quite well and, for a time, the youngster seemingly enjoyed the love and adoration his parents showered upon him.

However, at about a year into their lives together, a bunch of strange things started to happen to the family's youngest member.

With his ability to move about and explore on his own being refined to an extraordinarily high degree, Gohan started venturing around the house and his family's property on a more regular basis. These explorations became a part of his everyday activities and soon became so frequent that Chi-Chi would often times find her son in a variety of odd and unusual locations that would've otherwise been physically impossible for a child of only one year old to be able to access.

He also found it difficult to sit still for more than a minute.

For example, every time she sat Gohan down to prepare some food, tidy up, or get a book to read, the moment she turned her back on him for a few seconds, the youngster would suddenly be clambering over couches, hiding on top of elevated spots, including shelves and cupboards, concealing himself inside of cabinets, hanging off of the living room's fan, and even- on a couple of occasions- perching in the tree outside of their house. At an age where the child should barely be able to even crawl, let alone stand, the youngster was climbing and reaching all sorts of places in a remarkable display of strength and coordination. He was like a very active cat or a very nimble, young monkey.

The fact that he had the same brown, furry tail that his father had as a kid growing up, didn't help the comparison one bit.

The experience gave new meaning to the quote 'if you blink, you'll miss it'. Chi-Chi had no idea how Gohan was so capable of slipping away from her so easily, more so than what she imagined an ordinary child would be capable of. But no matter how vigilant the woman became or how many precautions she took to ensure her boy wouldn't escape her sight, her son showed that he had a surprising knack of getting away from her.

This of course was only the start of it all.

As the weeks passed by and the family's life in the mountains continued to develop, Gohan started to deviate more from acting like a normal toddler and began exhibiting wilder, more animalistic tendencies. Aside from his impromptu hide & seek tag sessions with his mum, the kid also became obsessed with looking for animals around the house. At just over a year old the boy would regularly sneak out to chase small rodents and birds living close by his home- particularly squirrels. On one particular scenario his growing predatory instincts led him to chasing a rabbit down its tunnel and coming back out with it in his mouth.

It was still alive, sure, but the poor thing was scared out of its wits when Gohan came tearing after it on all fours like a fox.

This very unusual and unruly behavior quickly prompted Chi-Chi to take swift, disciplinary action against her son in order to quickly curb his behavior and stop him from turning out like his father. This led to her putting her son through a crash course of proper home etiquette and early homeschooling, in which she set Gohan inside the house and had him begin his studies right away.

Giving Gohan something new to do around their country home helped to settle the kid down for a short while. But as soon as the boy picked up the art of reading and self-studying- and at only two years old- he quickly began resisting his mother's authority by tearing up the books after finishing them and running out of the house to hang out in the woods again.

Suffice to say was that the kid didn't like staying indoors at all.

Considering the amount of intolerance Chi-Chi showed towards Gohan's moods and behaviors, as well as the lengths she went to try and suppress them, any ordinary child would've calmed down or straightened up by this point. But as the days went on, the youngster continued to resist against his mother's wishes and insisted on acting like an animal. When Chi-Chi tried to restrain him further by telling him off or locking him in his room, the child would unexpectedly lash out and escape.

Goku, wanting to quell his wife's worries, suggested to the concerned mother she let Gohan do what he wants and enjoy his youth. In his words, he reasoned that their son was probably going through some sort of phase and suggested to Chi-Chi that she just let the whole thing run its course. Obviously he wanted Gohan to grow up happy and healthy on his own, and be free to make his own choices. If being free to move around outside a lot was what he wanted to do now, then his wife should let him to just that. The fact that their son didn't venture too far from home and that Goku could sense where he was at all times, gave further assurances that things would be okay.

Chi-Chi reluctantly agreed to her husband's suggestions and decided to see how things would turn out.

Her frustrations and worries petered out for a quite some time after that and things around the house almost immediately became less hectic. Without having to worry about her child studying so early and that he was having the time of his life, Chi-Chi's days in her little home quickly became quieter, more relaxed, and enjoyable.

But by the time Gohan reached two and a half years old, other things started to happen to him that his parents weren't aware of.

* * *

(Mount Paozu)

(Wednesday)

On this particular morning, while Chi-Chi was busy inside preparing breakfast for her family and her father was still asleep on the roll-out futon in the living room, out in the woods close to their house, the two-year-old Gohan was quietly exploring his surroundings once again.

Showing a fascination towards most of the things around him, the boy in the green pants and white shirt walked around the shrubs and bushes on a little expedition. After a while of walking around on both his feet and checking out his usual territories to make sure nothing was out of place, the child then got down on all fours and began creeping about the trees like a tiger, slowly crawling through the undergrowth and quietly laying out one palm after the other.

His back arching in a very cat-like manner, the boy raised his head and sniffed the air, his incredibly tuned senses picking up the familiar odor of something drifting through the trees. When the child eventually came upon a clearing where the smell was proliferating from, Gohan quickly spotted a couple of finches pecking away at the ground and hopping around each other.

The sounds of their tweets and chirps had a very feral grin cross Gohan's lips as the boy squatted down in the bushes. His feet digging into the ground, the child let out a very throaty growl as he promptly telegraphed the bird's movements and mentally measured the distance between them. Once his position had been adjusted and his legs had been loaded, the boy then took action.

In a burst of leaves and twigs, Gohan leapt out of the bushes and pounced on the two unsuspecting birds. The sudden appearance of the child startled the pair of animals, who quickly took flight. When the boy dropped down on the spot the finches had been feeding, the child's hands slammed down onto nothing.

But just when it appeared the birds were about to get away, Gohan then did something completely unexpected.

In a blur of movement, the long-haired youngster darted from the ground and leapt through the air, landing against the side of a tree on the other side of the clearing on all fours in an instant. The moment his fingers dug into the bark, he then loaded his body again and leapt after the birds, the sound of a gunshot ringing out. The speed he used was so great that his body actually vanished when he jumped.

The next thing the two birds knew was being grabbed out of midair by a fast-moving Gohan, who managed to catch both of them in his little hands. Dropping out of the air, the child kicked off another tree and touched down softly on the floor. He then ended up pinning the two birds beneath him, both of whom chirped wildly in fright.

The cheeky youngster snickered. "Got yah!" Gohan exclaimed, watching the two brown avian squirm and writhe beneath him for several seconds, before eventually stopping when they realized they couldn't get away. The wild child then grinned at them happily. "Haha. Sorry. Better luck next time, you guys." Upon carefully picking both birds up off the floor, the youngster then let them go, watching as the pair of finches flew up into the canopy- alive, unhurt, but clearly in a bit of a daze.

Upon seeing the animals fly off, Gohan returned to foraging and exploring. Dashing through the brush and jumping through trees, the incredibly agile and strong two and a half year old made good time through the woods. When he exited the forest beside his house a few moments later and onto the rolling hills, the child then spotted his father out on the valleys.

Dressed in his signature orange and blue gi, with his respective school's markings stitched onto the front and back, the strongest man on Earth- Goku- could be found sparring by himself over the grasslands.

His body moving in a blur of motion, the diligent and hardworking hero and recent Martial Arts Champion went through the various katas of his fighting style one after the other. His fists and legs shot out in multiple directions as he lunged and leapt through various parrying and striking postures, hitting with upward palm strikes, swinging blows, and leaping spin kicks. From the way his attacks came out so sharply, letting off sharp gusts of wind with each blow, showed just how much effort he was putting into his morning training regimen.

Watching closely from his spot at the edge of the forest, the initially curious Gohan immediately became fascinated and enthralled by his father's display of strength and agility. His eyes widening and shimmering in awe at the man's movements, the boy watched his parent continue to spar across the hills for a couple of minutes, before he then saw the man take his training to the air. Goku leapt to an incredible height above the valleys and began striking the sky, pulling out various combos and unleashing them in flickers of barely traceable attacks.

His awe quickly becoming replaced by pure excitement- as indicated by his tail swishing behind him- the now reinvigorated young Gohan laughed as he leaned forward and sprinted out into the open. Stumbling at first, the child then began dashing across the valley with his arms out, clearly eager to join in on what his father was doing.

While Goku dropped down from the sky and executed another series of brisk, powerful moves and jabs, the parent stopped when he suddenly spotted his son standing a few feet away, beaming across at him with an expression of pure delight. Dropping his guard and rising up from his lunge, the father blinked curiously at the child.

"What's up, Gohan? What are you doing out here?" the father asked, promptly walking over to his son and stopping in front of him. "Daddy's busy training right now."

His face practically glowing by this point, Gohan then waved his hands over him and began hopping eagerly on the spot. "That looks fun, daddy! I want to play too! Play! Play!" the child chirped.

"Play?" Goku repeated, not quite understanding what his son was saying.

"Yeah!" To emphasize, the child clenched his fists at his sides and put on a fierce expression. "I want to jump around and go HA-HA-HA-HA-HA too!" Gohan shouted in a loud voice, at the same time throwing a couple of punches in front of him. "Just like you. Teach me! Teach me!"

"Oh? You mean… martial arts?" Goku asked, which drew a nod from his excited son. Hearing this and seeing the amount of interest his boy was expressing towards what he was doing, put a big grin on the man's face. Stepping forward, he rested a hand on his child's head and ruffled his outgrown hair. "Yeah. Of course. If that's what you want to do."

Practically bouncing with joy, Gohan grinned back at his parent. "What's first?"

"Well… first we have to work on your fighting stance," the man said, moving to stand alongside his boy and seeing Gohan's eyes firmly glued on him. "You need to know how you're going to stand if you're going to learn how to fight." Goku then assumed a basic horse riding posture, his feet setting wide, legs bending, and arms locking at his sides with his fists drawn in. "A strong stance will give you good balance, and will also provide a footing for your attacks and defense."

Observing his father's movements and the pose he'd assumed carefully from where he was standing, Gohan then attempted to mimic the hero. "L-Like this?" the child asked, at the same time taking a pose exactly like his dad's.

"Yeah. That's it. Now… start moving your hands and body around like _this_," Goku instructed, slowly swinging his arms about in a defensive parry, almost similar to tai chi, before following it up with a decisive palm thrust. "Nice, smooth, and fluid… like water." He continued to do so at a slow and gradual pace, using the same gestures so that his son would be able to copy him. "By moving your arms _this way_, you can block and parry straight punches from your opponent. And by following up with _this_, you can counter them."

Goku then proceeded to watch from the corner of his eye as Gohan, with his eyes unblinking and gaze locked firmly on him, began to perfectly mimic his father's hand and foot movements. As the martial arts champion sped up and began using different motions, the boy copied him, repeating his parries and thrusts at about a second behind. Soon however, as the man began repeating the same string of attacks, his son was able to sync up his katas in time with his own, till he was moving like an exact, miniature doppelganger of his father.

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" Gohan shouted, thrusting his palms out after performing a block as he matched his father's speed. He then looked up at his dad and grinned at him, before then swinging his arm out in a striking parry, before following that up with two brisk punches. "Ha-ha! Yah! Like that?"

The sight of Gohan picking up his actions almost in an instant had Goku blink in astonishment, before a proud smile graced his lips. "Wow. Yeah! You got it, Gohan." Upon seeing the child grin proudly back at him, the father then lowered his posture yet again and reset his stance, altering it slightly by shifting his feet into a more pigeon-toed stance. "Now… on to the next one."

Being the martial arts expert that he was, Goku not only had a fair amount of knowledge to offer, but he also had a very strong understanding of where to begin when teaching his young son how to fight. Since all of his combat skills were based solely off his own boyhood experiences and history of learning them on the fly, it meant he didn't have to go into too much detail over the specifics of each technique. Even better, since Gohan was apparently a very quick study and soaked up everything he saw like a sponge, made actually teaching him the proper foot and handwork a thousand times easier than it would be otherwise. The boy was just… _a natural_… a boy gifted to learn.

This fact was made all the more apparent when, in the span of about half an hour, Goku had managed to teach him the basics of _Hung Ga_, the very fighting style that was the center of the young adult's repertoire of abilities. After showing Gohan the movements and watching him repeat them, he then had him practice some basic hand-to-hand work with a partner. Considering he was so much taller than his infant son, Goku got down on his knees to practice basic sticky hand techniques- a practice he adopted from _Wing Chun_ in which both of them traded several different sets of parrying and striking techniques repeatedly, where their arms continuously crossed, locked, and swapped parries and counter punches over and over again.

Upon going over this for several minutes so that his son could get used to the idea of trading blows, Goku then thought now was as good a time as any to put all of those demonstrations to the test.

"Alright then," the spiky haired hero chirped with a grin as he stepped back, watching as his boy looked up at him with an intent and excited expression. "Since you've picked all of that up so quickly, let's have a quick sparring match to see how well you've taken all of that."

Gohan grinned, his tail wagging vigorously in excitement. "Yes, sir!" The child then quickly assumed the fighting pose he'd been practice- setting his feet wide with his right body forward, his right hand up and extended slightly, while his left fist was tucked into his side. "Let's play, daddy!"

Laughing at his son's enthusiasm, Goku then slid into his own loose stance and brought his left arm up into a defensive position. "Now remember, son- don't overthink it. Just move how your body wants to move and don't react to everything you see. Take it slow… and go at your own pace. Focus on your technique." As soon as he'd assumed a comfortable Hung Ga stance, the father smiled warmly towards his boy, who he could see was bobbing up and down on his legs enthusiastically. "Don't worry. Because you're still so young, I'll make sure to go lightly on you."

"Okay dad," Gohan chirped, before shifting his feet out and loading his legs. "Here I come! HYAAAH!" The child then bolted forward, sprinting across the grass at such a pace that it had Goku almost do a double take when his toddler of a son was suddenly right in front of him. The instant he was within jumping range, the eager child unexpectedly sprang into the air and leapt at his father with a leaping kick, which shot out at him in an arc.

"Whoa!" Goku exclaimed, moving to the side sharply and avoiding his son's blow when he came flying past him. _"I didn't know he could jump like that!"_ Spinning around to see his boy touch down on the floor a few feet away, he then saw the child wheel about and spring at him again with a blast of dust, this time coming at him even faster. "Oh, geez!"

Dodging the boy's first two attacks- an uppercut and a kick- Goku then performed several brisk head slips when his son suddenly unloaded a flurry of punches against him that somewhat alarmed the father at their ferocity. Upon dodging them and ducking his follow-up kick, the surprised adult retaliated with a right jab out of reflex, watching his boy parry it with a hand slap and return the blow with a left kick.

Blocking it, Goku then saw his boy drop to the floor and dart to the side across the grass. Pivoting about to keep the youngster in front of him, the martial artist then focused up his gaze when he saw Gohan dart back towards him again in the form of a blur, and leap at him with a jumping right punch. Leaning to the side to avoid, the father then speedily blocked the next onslaught of blows that came in from his airborne boy. Light thumps rang out with every attack he deflected and slapped away, as his son gave off a series of gutsy shouts and grunts.

When Goku unbolted a kick straight up towards his boy, he saw the child check it and counter with a kick of his own. Blocking with his forearm, the adult then watched as Gohan flipped away and landed on the grass several feet away on all fours. The sight of the boy's eyes snapping up to him from his position as he slowly lowered his leg had the martial artist father blink in amazement.

"_Man. Since when could Gohan move like that? Isn't he a bit too young to be running around at that speed?"_ Goku thought, analyzing his child's posture for a moment before then looking down at his right forearm, which he had used to catch the youngster's kick. When he saw the mark left in his skin by his boy's tiny shoe, the hero frowned. _"That was a very strong teep. If I hadn't caught that-"_ Clenching his fist after shaking out the light bruising, the father glanced back up at his cautious boy, who he noticed was now studying him from a distance. _"His movements are razor sharp. I think I'd better try a little harder, otherwise he's going to hit me."_

After his eyes darted over his father's form and noticed the more defensive posture he'd assumed, the stationary Gohan gave an impatient frown before deciding to make his move. With a grunt he charged, kicking up dust as he once again sprang at his old man and uncorked a series of brisk punches. This time his father blocked with a lot more finesse and care, speedily shooting down every attack the tiny boy threw at him, all the while holding his distance from him.

Recognizing many of the moves that they'd practiced with one another over the last hour, Goku timed each counter properly so as to not hurt his body. However, as their little sparring session carried on, the man noticed that his boy was getting faster, his blows were getting stronger, and his combinations were getting a lot more aggressive. After remaining mostly stationary for the first few minutes, the martial arts father started to steadily back away.

Firing off a couple of jabs at his son and watching him leap around them, the boy then leapt at him again, this time with a jumping knee strike. Not expecting an attack like that due to having not taught him that move, Goku promptly blocked it with his arm, only to then notice the boy chopping down at him with a left overhand. His little fist cut through the air and threatened to crack the man over the head, with the father giving a surprised blink before instinctively shoving his palm into his son's chest.

The brisk tap that he gave pushed Gohan out of the air and sent him to the ground, which he slammed into rather hard and rolled. When his body eventually rolled to a still and the child was on his stomach, Goku slowly watched the dust settle. It was only at that point the man had realized what he had done and gave a startled gasp.

"Oh my gosh, Gohan! A-Are you okay?" the father asked while speedily jogging over to check on his little one. "Ah. Damn. I think I may have gone a little too far there." Kneeling down when he saw his boy's body was shaking, the older martial artist rested a hand on his back and looked down at him. "Are you hurt?"

Being the kind of man that he was- strong yet caring- Goku couldn't help but freak out, thinking he may have hurt his little boy by accident. When the child slowly pushed himself off of the grass and lifted his face clear of the dirt, the father thought for sure the youngster was going to start crying any second now. However, the moment the martial artist saw the kid look up at him, the man suddenly backed up in alarm when, instead of a hurt expression, he saw an incredibly angry and feral glare gazing back at him.

Seeing the child's teeth bare and hearing a low growl emanate from him, the father blinked. "G-Gohan?"

Upon giving that very animalist growl, Gohan shakily pushed himself up, his body trembling as he forced himself onto his feet. Almost buckling under the pain that he'd received from landing so violently, the boy then took several deep breaths, before his irate sneer was replaced by a rather wide and feral grin.

"M-More…" the boy hiss, startling his father at his response. "More…"

Moments later, the martial artist father gave another surprised blink when, all of a sudden, he saw wisps of steam start to emanate from the boy's body. Floating into the air little by little, the trembling child continued to take deep breaths as he flexed his fingers, feeling the pain go away and be replaced by more strength, as he hardened his muscles and took a firmer stance.

Goku meanwhile, being able to sense his boy's presence, recoiled in momentary alarm when he felt his energy level starting to climb at a shockingly fast rate. _"Th-This power… where the heck is it all coming from…?"_ His expression continued to showcase his disbelief as he saw the vapor wafting off of his child suddenly transform into some kind of aura, which only seemed to get stronger and stronger as the seconds ticked by. It reached such a high level that the father felt as though he was now facing down some kind of monster. "Gohan?"

After several seconds of standing there and feeling his energy climb, the two year old child then slowly leaned forward and slammed his hands into the floor, where he assumed the same animalistic posture he'd taken before as his fingers dug into the soil. With his aura increasing in size and potency, the now maliciously grinning child focused all of his ire on his father- his once charcoal black eyes slowly turning white as his energy continued to course through his body.

"Come on, dad," Gohan exclaimed, shaking his father out of his stupor. "Let's play some more."

Before Goku could make any sort of comment, he suddenly saw a crater get smashed into the floor beneath his son, who then suddenly vanished into thin air. Seeing the cloud of dust left behind dissipate, the alarmed martial artist quickly put all of his senses on full blast and spun around. He managed to throw his arm up just in time to catch the kick from his son when he reappeared directly behind him. The moment it connected and loud boom rang out that knocked the man off balance and sent him skidding across the ground.

Tearing a trench through the earth from the force of his boy's blow, Goku barely had enough time to recover when the toddler suddenly came at him with a flurry of lightning fast blows, which seemingly came at him from multiple directions at once. His son's form darting through the air in front of him left several after images as he started attacking him with strength and speed that the father wasn't at all prepared for.

Barely managing to parry the barrage of blows, his expression reflecting the sheer intensity and effort he was being forced to expend trying to fend off his own boy, Goku suddenly had his arms smashed away by the boy throwing a massive kick that sent his arms skyward. With his guard blown open, the adult martial artist could only give a stunned look when Gohan, in a blur of movement, delivered a crushing flying kick right into the man's stomach.

Ribs and muscles caving under the blow, the startled Goku's eyes practically bugged out as he spat out blood, before the man was sent flying off his feet and bouncing across the valley. His body smashing against the floor several times in multiple places, the man eventually rolled to a stop. Gripping his torso, the man gasped and groaned in pain, his uniform slightly wrecked and body severely bruised.

Managing to take in a few deep gasps of much needed air that'd been knocked out of his lungs, the Earthling hero shakily pushed himself up onto his hands and looked up across at his son. The moment his eyes landed on him, Goku's expression twisted into one of shock and momentary fear when he saw the boy standing there, hunched over slightly, as the white steam of his aura flowed off of him and up into the sky.

The way his clothes and his hair seemed to billow on the wind being generated from his aura, and the way his expression had darkened with the intense frown he'd put on, almost gave him the appearance of a demon. The fact that his eyes were nearly blank as well sent a cold chill running down Goku's back.

Just when it seemed like Gohan was going to attack again, the white aura surrounding him faded and the child's body relaxed. When his spiky hair flopped back down and the intensity in his gaze faded, the boy suddenly put on a cheerful smile and tilted his head towards his fallen father.

"Wow! That was so much fun, daddy!" the youngster exclaimed, his mood seemingly returning back to normal before a big grin formed across his lip, which'd started bleeding from his initial fall. Unperturbed by it, the child brought up his fists and shook them excitedly as he gave his father the most ecstatic of looks. "Can we do that again?! Can we? Please!"

Goku, still shaken from what he'd witnessed, sensed and felt firsthand, continued to gape in disbelief at his son for several moments, before then shaking out of his daze. He then chuckled and grinned weakly back at the youngster- simultaneously reaching up to wipe the blood from his chin. "Yeah, son. Of course we can."

When the man hoisted himself back to his feet, the one question that stuck out of his mind was what the hell that freakish power had been. Though he had no idea when, how, or why his boy had managed to acquire such strength, Goku knew right away in his throbbing, sore gut that it was something special.

His son had a power dwelling inside of him that he couldn't even begin to fathom. But whatever it was, the man wanted to see if he could bring it out again.

* * *

In the days and weeks to follow since that fateful incident in the valleys, the incredibly intrigued and determined Goku started taking his son out for even more training sessions together in secret. Keeping well away from the house and the watchful eyes of Chi-Chi, the adult warrior wanted to see if he could tap into the same tremendous well of power that his boy unleashed on their first, playful sparring match together.

As their training together progressed and Goku began teaching Gohan more and more about the world of martial arts, the child's skills and abilities grew at an extraordinary rate.

As the father expected early on, his son possessed an unimaginable, unheard of level of inner strength and potential. Despite being of such a young age, barely old enough for a normal child to be able to walk properly, the kid showed a prodigious talent in the martial arts that would only ever appear once in a lifetime. It wasn't just his rapid understanding of the techniques behind the arts that was astonishing- but his processing abilities, adaptability, his body's coordination skills, his instincts, and his muscles, were all naturally built for the life of a strong fighter.

The boy was like a machine. Everything Goku taught to his son over the next few months, he soaked it up. All the strategies he gave him and learning opportunities, the boy took them and enhanced them. He didn't do it in an ordinary way though. Still having the mentality of a child, Gohan saw every opportunity to learn from his father as a form of play, which he was quickly able to convert to his daily routine and transform into his biggest hobby.

Between the secret morning training sessions he had with his dad, Gohan took the skills being taught to him by his father and transitioned it over to his day-to-day adventures in the forest. Whenever he was alone, he would practice the technique, run obstacle courses, and pretend he was fighting against someone or something.

Because of these inclusions and adapting of his training to his regular life, the child insured that his skills would continue to progress.

As for the hidden power he managed to bring out during his initial training session with his father, though he did reveal small glimpses of it over the next year or so, his subsequent power outputs and adrenaline rushes were nowhere near as ferocious or extravagant as the first time he tapped into it. Though Goku tried to get his son to harness his well of power and bring it out, the youngster was simply unable to reach deep enough for a repeat performance, and thus kept it concealed from the world.

The father quickly came to suspect that his son was deliberately suppressing his hidden power. Though he couldn't really understand why, given the nature of his son and his immense levels of growth, Goku eventually thought it best not to dwell on it too much. The last thing he wanted was for someone to get hospitalized in an accident while "playing" with his two- going on three-year-old- boy in the countryside.

Understandably, Goku also chose to keep his discovery of his son's power away from his wife, as he knew that telling Chi-Chi about Gohan's latent potential for martial arts and unbelievable strength would raise all sorts of problems he just didn't want to get into. While the martial artist was positive that his beloved wouldn't believe him, due mostly to the woman's common sensibilities and the idea that no one could be as strong as him, the fact that she didn't want their child to grow up to become a fighter made telling her a risky venture.

After all, the woman wanted Gohan to grow up to become an ordinary person, who could function properly in society, find a job, and provide for his family. Any thought of the boy becoming anything but a successful scholar or academic in the world would probably give Chi-Chi an aneurism of some kind.

Unfortunately, due to the boy's carefree, wild, and unpredictable nature, Goku had a feeling that setting Gohan on the path to mediocrity was not going to be as simple as his wife was hoping it would be.

As the months continued to pass them, Gohan's carefree attitude failed to subside. In fact, his eagerness for action and training only seemed to develop more, transforming his cheerful personality into a bolder and more challenging sort of character. Though the boy continued to abide by the standards of living within the household and managed to take on some mannerisms akin to proper etiquette, every time he went out the child always, without fail, allowed his wilder and more adventurous side to take over. As a result, his explorations outdoors transformed from small, curious excursions into the forest near the house, to the mountains, rivers and lakes further beyond.

At first Goku and Chi-Chi thought very little of it, though the latter did express some concerns for her child's safety. It was only after Gohan's fourth birthday, during a cheerful family excursion into the outdoors, that the youngster and his family would experience an encounter that would later go on to shape his destiny.

* * *

(Early Afternoon)

On this particular day, Goku and Chi-Chi decided to take their son out for a picnic in the mountains. Here, beside a lake with a waterfall and underneath a big oak tree, the family settled down for a peaceful, outdoor lunch with one another. Remembering to pack extra food for her two hungry boys, the mother watched with a satisfied smile as the two, raven haired go-getters ate up everything that she had made for them. While she certainly had plenty for herself, it was the father and son duo who were the woman's main concern, as Gohan had seemed to have picked up his dad's outrageous appetite.

Once all of the food had been devoured, with only cakes and drinks being the last items on the menu, the family settled in for an afternoon nap. Having eaten so much of his wife's cooking, Goku felt like he was about to fall into a food coma, which gave Chi-Chi the perfect opportunity to snuggle up to her hubby while he was in a peaceful mood. Together, the loving young couple spent their time whispering to one another, teasing each other, playing mind games, and counting the clouds that drifted overhead.

As for their son, Gohan had decided to abandon the temporary eating site to go for a bigger explore of the region. Since his parents had brought him to a new location away from their home and his usual territory, this mountain area not only promised him new terrain to cover, but also potential new landmarks and animals to locate. So, with the chance handed to him, the inquisitive, energetic, wild youngster went on another, self-imposed trip around the lake, near the waterfall, and up into the woods on the hill overlooking the valley.

Able to see his parents lying out on the checkered mat from the woods above the valley, the brave youngster decided to venture even further- sneaking away from his napping parents to take a look at the regions over the hills.

Sure enough, after a good few minutes of marching, his quest took him to a thicker, wilder area of woodland, where a couple of clearings lay at the foot of a towering, rocky plateau. Finding a great deal of interest in the vicinity he'd landed in, the child sniffed the air, taking in the scent of the atmosphere filling this part of the reserve, before slowly clambering down the rocky path and into the unknown stretch of woodland.

On his way, the child spied some deer foraging in amongst the trees, all of whom looked up when they sensed Gohan approaching them. When they spotted the youngster ambling his way through the forests, the animals simply remained in place and twitched their ears at him, before quietly returning to their meals of grass and seeds. The four-year-old gave them the same respect and, after smiling at the curious animals, carried on wandering.

Eventually the child reached a glade filled with flowers and mounds of grass growing over fallen trees. Paying no heed to how many of the evergreens had been snapped and broken around him, with many of the trunks knocked over in a way that it looked as though something big had come through recently, Gohan went about crawling about the area and looking for things to play with. A large iguana crawling across a fallen log a few yards ahead of him quickly caught his attention, which the child approached and prepared to pounce on.

However, just as the eager, smirking youngster was about to hop on top of the reptile bathing out in the sun, the young Gohan's ears suddenly twitched when he picked up the distinct sound of twigs snapping nearby. Head perking up when he also heard leaves getting crushed by approaching footsteps, the boy sniffed the air a couple of times before turning and looking over his shoulder. As soon as he did, the child saw a pack of about four big, grey wolves circling the perimeter of the broken tree line.

Their golden eyes fixed squarely upon his tiny, yellow robe-clad form, the group of hungry predators snarled as they cautiously approached the child, using the dead and fallen evergreen clusters in the area for cover as they made their advance. Gohan, sensing their presence as clear as day, smirked as he slowly paced about as well, tearing his eyes away from the lizard and assuming a lowered, aggressive-looking stance on all fours. His back arching and fingers digging into the soil, the child grinned broadly as his eyes tracked the hungry beasts.

"You want to play with me?" the boy asked, baring his teeth as the four wolves circled him, with the pack leader in front snapping its jaws angrily and giving a loud, menacing bark. "Okay. Let's play!"

Almost as soon as he shouted, the fierce-looking animals all charged at him. The first came in from the side- dashing in and lunging out with its teeth at full bare. Gohan however, undeterred by the animal's size, speed or approach, simply darted towards it and elbowed it across the face before it could take a chomp out of him. A loud _crunch_ rang out followed by the yelp of the animal as the child sent it crashing to the floor.

When the predator tumbled across the ground, two more wolves came at Gohan from behind, with the youngster crouching low and vanishing in a blur, causing both canines to miss him when their jaws passed through an afterimage. Before they even had a chance to appear confused, the boy reappeared behind them and lashed out- kicking one across the face and sending it into the ground, and hitting the other with a palm slap to the torso that dropped it straight into the dirt.

As the two animals crumpled and whimpered from the vicious onslaught of hits, the pack leader finally came in and lunged at Gohan with its jaws wide open. She aimed for the kid's throat for an instant take-down and kill, only to receive one hell of a surprise when the child suddenly caught her jaws mid-bite with both hands and effortlessly held her back.

Baring his own teeth, Gohan gave a playful growl before finally kicking the wolf's legs out from under her and tossing her aside, sending her rolling across the dirt and into a tree with a dull _crack_. The moment the alpha dropped to the ground, it quickly scrambled to her feet and growled at the child. In response, the four-year-old snarled at the predator and spiked his ki, sending a wave of wind rippling across the clearing from his body.

Once the wind hit the pack leader, its ears and tails immediately tucked up and, with a terrified whimper she ran for it. Its three injured companions followed shortly afterwards, barking and yelping with fright as they hurriedly got out of the area and away from the animal they thought had been easy prey. As soon as their bodies disappeared amongst the trees and to the other side of the valley's base, a completely unharmed Gohan remained on all fours and barked after them.

"Ha! Yeah! I win!" the child shouted happily with a grin, unaware of the ground shifting behind him and a low groan filling the air. "You thought I was weak? Take that!" It was only after Gohan was done yelling after the predators that he suddenly heard a low rumble fill the area, which had the youngster blink in confusion before turning around.

When his eyes landed on the rocky mountain behind him and traced up the stone cliffs making up its face, he suddenly saw a golden eye open up in the walls before- emerging from the rocks with a thunderous groan- a massive beast appeared. The entire plateau was shaken from its foundations as half of it literally crumbled away. Rubble and debris was tossed aside like the veil of an uneven blanket as a creature as big as an entire mountain unexpectedly jutted out of the earth. When it fully unfurled itself from the massif it'd been sleeping in and the debris covering its massive form was sent crashing across the valley, an astonished Gohan suddenly found himself gazing upon the immense, majestic form of a full grown dragon.

Its red scales flashing under the sun as it shook off its cover, the winged beast revealed itself to the boy in all its fifty-story, titanic glory. Long, boney spines ran up and down its enormous, arching back- a series of protrusions that created a length of protective, razor-sharp armor that ended with a long, intimidating, clubbed tail. When its appendage swished, it smashed over an entire acre of trees with barely any effort.

As the cloud of dust slowly settled around it, the ancient creature unfolded a pair of massive wings from its back. When its head reared, it revealed to the child a crown of spines surrounding a narrow, proud head, with a long snout, flared nostrils, and a jaw lined with razor sharp teeth. Looking as though it was taken straight out of one of Gohan's fantasy books, the enormous creature, which looked to be three times as big as the Capsule Corp building in West City, loomed over the vicinity and glared down at the animal that'd disturbed its sleep.

The moment its gaze fixated upon the child, the towering red monstrosity gave a loud huff, before inhaling deeply and letting out a piercing roar- its volume sending a gale of wind blasting across the trees, toppling several of them over, and causing several boulders to go rolling across the clearing.

Gohan meanwhile, though he was pushed back a few feet along the ground, remained completely unfazed by the beast's screech. After hearing the battle cry end and seeing it glare down at him murderously, the child felt his heart begin to race, before a wide, feral grin spread across his lips. As soon as his mind processed the quarry he could see standing proudly before him, the boy set his feet apart and quickly took a stance.

"Haha! Yes! Another friend to play with!" Gohan exclaimed excitedly, his hair standing on end and eyes narrowing on the beast as it snarled at him. Its throaty growl reverberated across the entire valley, literally shaking the ground with its warnings. "Come on then, you big lizard! Show me what you got!"

Without needing to be told twice, the newly awoken and obviously hostile beast promptly raised its front claw and, with a growl, slammed it down onto the ground where the child was standing. Its limb smashed into the floor, rupturing the earth and sending a tsunami of rocks and dirt rippling outwards in all directions- knocking over trees like dominos and fracturing the valley's plate. Upon seemingly flattening its foe, the giant lizard's golden, glowing eyes blinked when it realized that it'd actually missed, and quickly snapped its eyes across the glade.

It immediately spotted Gohan glaring up at him on all fours from the trunk of a still-standing tree. The moment it reestablished contact with its tiny prey- crouching against the bark like an insect- the skyscraper sized lizard swung its other arm out and smashed through the still standing patch of woods next to it. Its massive arm disintegrated the line of trees with a single swing, transforming the spires of wood into a cloud of splinters as a shockwave of force traveled for several hundred yards across the valley. When it realized it'd missed its target yet again, the giant reptile swung its whole body around and smashed the ground with its right claw again, sending another blast of rubble belching fifty stories into the sky.

As further explosions rocked the mountain region as the infuriated beast went full ham on the area, the ancient reptile then promptly ceased its brief rampage. Thrumming lowly as its giant head looked about, trying its hardest to relocate its human target, when it sensed something behind it, the dragon's eyes then snapped over its shoulder. There, it immediately spotted a yellow blur shooting up at it from the cloud of dust hanging over a massive crater, before colliding with its side like a rocket.

Gohan, having managed to evade the monster's telegraphed swings and area of effect tantrum, managed to get right into the creature's blind spot behind its right wing. After taking aim at it from a amazingly still standing platform of standing rock, the child managed to spring from his vantage point and launched himself into the side of the beast, tackling it with his shoulder.

The force of his impact, coupled with his speed and power, generated a shockwave so great it split the landscape beneath him and punched a crater into the valley floor. The dragon itself gave a loud screech of pain as its gigantic form was sent flying across the vicinity to slam into another acre of forests. The trees ended up squashed and pulverized beneath its massive girth as it tumbled across the mountain base, causing multiple tremors to shake the countryside.

Following its violent landing, the dazed yet still conscious drake promptly leapt back to its feet, swung its head about, and snarled angrily in the direction its speedy attacker had come from.

When it spotted Gohan crouching on the ground several hundred meters away, he then saw the little, monkey-tailed boy grin at him before then giving a very tiger-like growl. Unimpressed by the child's call, the dragon reared its head, inhaled sharply and, after its chest lit up a hot orange, opened its mouth and unleashed a torrent of fire upon the diminutive child standing in the middle of the now barren forest setting.

Orange flames erupted from the dragon's mouth with the deafening roar of a hurricane, striking the earth, swallowing up the lowland, and transforming the basin into a raging inferno. Its hot breath scorched the land and incinerated whatever remaining trees and trunks had been lying within range of its attack, with even the ground itself ending up getting ripped apart by the tidal wave of flames that came spewing out of its throat.

After several seconds of belching fire and letting the valley have it, the dragon eventually stopped, coughing out smoke as it watched its orange flames torch the area for a solid minute. When it eventually cleared seconds later, revealing a very flat and glassed area of land stretching across for about a mile, its eyes then fixated on its prey.

Initially expecting the boy to be transformed into cinders by now, the dragon almost felt its jaw drop when it saw Gohan was still standing there- on a tiny circle of intact grass that was virtually untouched, and his body surrounded by a white mist of light. His hair and oriental yellow robe billowing in the winds of his aura, the youngster could be seen glaring up at the dragon through a narrowed gaze and a pair of white irises, an expression that clearly indicated that he was furious.

The moment he saw the look of surprise creep over the dragon's face, the completely untouched child felt a smirk tug at his lips, before the child then crouched forward and set his hands upon the scolding hot floor. The moment he was on all fours and his back arched, the child's white aura intensified with a rumble, sending a blast of wind shooting out around him in all directions that helped extinguish the rest of the flames left behind by the dragon's powerful breath.

"My turn," Gohan stated in a low, raspy voice, before bolting forward in a blur and causing a sonic boom to ring out with his take-off.

A split second after seeing the boy launch himself from the floor, a second, terrifying thunderclap echoed out when Gohan, getting right up in the dragon's face, nailed it across the cheek with a devastating left hook, which caved in its cheek and sent several of its teeth flying out of its mouth.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Goku and Chi-Chi, roused by the sounds of explosions and monstrous roars echoing in from over the ridge, had both leapt to their feet and put up their guards. Realizing that Gohan was no longer in the grove with them and had most definitely gone off exploring, the pair sprinted in the direction the father could sense his ki and, by extension, the location where all those sounds were coming from.

The father and mother became immediately concerned and fearful for the safety of their son, as the last thing they'd expected to happen in this part of Mount Paozu was a bunch of earthquakes to start going off so close to them. Of course, this was nothing compared to what they discovered when they eventually came down off the path on the other side of the hill. Skidding to a stop at the edge of the smoking clearing, both Goku and Chi-Chi gaped when they found themselves staring at not only a charred and glassed landscape, but also the body of a colossal, fire-breathing dragon.

"O-Oh my gosh," Chi-Chi gasped, her hands moving up to cover her mouth as she slowly took in the ruined landscape.

Its body lying atop the remains of the plateau it'd previously been sleeping in and fingers twitching, the beast's crushed and mangled face told the two parents looking upon it that it'd been definitively killed. Judging from the wounds it'd received and how damaged the landscape surround it was, Goku initially thought that this great beast had been taken down by something very large and very powerful.

However, all their expectations as to what kind of monster could've killed such a beast were promptly shot down when, from the smoke and dust covering the dragon's body, the two young adults saw another, smaller figure emerge. When the veil of smog lifted several seconds later, Goku and Chi-Chi's jaws dropped when they saw that it was their son- perched on the dragon's neck and looking down into its vacant eye, which had lost all traces of life in it.

His body practically untouched and clothing undamaged, the young child was currently staring down at the fallen dragon with his head tilted and an unperturbed look on his face. When he sensed a new set of eyes on him, Gohan looked up to see his parents gaping at him.

When her brain finally processed that her son was standing atop the fallen drake, Chi-Chi quickly rushed forward- her shoes almost slipping through the crumbling ground. "G-Gohan? Gohan! Oh, my sweet baby!" the mother cried out, arriving beside the dragon's cheek and quickly taking her son by the shoulders. When she looked him over, she noticed right away that despite having no injuries, he had a bit of blood splatter across his clothing and face- obviously from the reptile that'd been slain. "Are you alright? What in the world happened?"

Gohan blinked at the frantic look in his mother's eyes, before quickly smiling back at her. "Hi, mum. I'm okay. I was just playing."

This response immediately had Chi-Chi tighten her lip. "Why in the world were you playing all the way out here? Kami… why didn't you stay with us by the lake?"

"I was bored… so I decided to go for a little walk." Looking around the smoldering area before glancing down at the dead dragon he was still standing on, the cheerful youngster then pointed down at it. "_He_ wanted to play with me… so I sparred with him until he stopped."

Not quite understanding what her son was trying to tell her, Chi-Chi shook her head before finally picking the child up off of the dead monster. "I shouldn't have let you wander off. Look at your face. Your clothes. You're all filthy." Turning around, the mother in the purple qi pao robes then hurriedly moved away from the smoking corpse, determined to head back to their picnic site. "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up."

While the mother hurried past her husband to get herself and her son away from the vicinity, Goku, having listened to the conversation between his wife and son, kept his eyes glued on the dead dragon in front of him. Studying it for the moment, the father couldn't help but shake his head in amazement.

"_Did Gohan… kill this dragon… all by himself?"_ The reason Goku found this so hard to believe was because, judging from the ancient beast's size and the destruction it'd brought to the mountain area, even he would've had a lot of trouble taking it down. Yet his son- his extremely talented four-year-old boy- had been able to take it out in only a couple of minutes. And he didn't even have a single scratch on him.

So overwhelmed by the realization that his son had been able to take down such a formidable foe by his lonesome, over on a distant mountain peak and looking down at the charred landscape, a familiar, caped figure had been watching.

His white cape fluttering on the wind and his white turban concealing his signature antennae, the green-skinned, son of the former terror of the world- Piccolo- had his eyes fixed squarely on the Son family. Having ventured out here to this part of the continent after sensing a disturbance from many, many states and capitals away, the new demon king had been able to arrive just in time to be able to witness the final moments of the dragon's battle with his diminutive opponent.

Needless to say, what the other half of Kami had to see from atop the mountain, had the usually stoic and unfeeling Piccolo reeling in disbelief.

The look of astonishment was clearly reflected in his eyes, which had gradually twisted into one of great intent and interest as he watched Chi-Chi carry her little boy back up the hill and Goku follow after close behind.

Finger rapping against his bicep during his moment of clarity, a slightly sweating Piccolo felt his brow crease thoughtfully.

"Hmm_… _fascinating," the man whispered as his cape fluttered against a stiff gust of wind.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	2. Raditz Saga - New Evil Arrives

**Dragonball Z**

_**Alter Age**_

_New Evil Arrives_

(A couple months later)

The morning that came on this particular day in the middle of the spring turned out to be one of the most eagerly awaited ones Goku could remember having in a long time. The reason being was that not only was his wife giving him a full, fun day to spend looking after their son, but she'd also taken the liberty of giving her husband permission to leave Mount Paozu to go visit their old friends.

To summarize, not only did the martial arts hero finally have the chance to reunite with his comrades Krillin, Bulma, Master Roshi, Launch, Oolong, Yamcha, and Puar, but he also had the chance to introduce his son to the people he grew up with.

Considering that Gohan had finally reached an age and maturity where he could easily move around and interact with others by himself, Chi-Chi was pretty keen about showing off the pride and joy of her new family. Despite her son's incredibly energetic and unpredictable behavior, he still held a great measure of politeness and confidence garnered from his father's side- and quite possibly his influence. The mother saw these as good, strong traits for her child, and considering how strong Gohan's bond with Goku was, she had no qualms about letting her beloved take their child out for a fly across the planet.

And that's exactly what they did.

Following a very hearty breakfast, in which both Goku and Gohan devoured everything laid out on the table in front of them in almost perfect mirrors of each other, Chi-Chi then got her son cleaned up, dressed him in his best clothes, popped on his dragon ball hat, and presented him to her husband. Upon calling his friend nimbus down from the lower stratosphere, the father then propped his son over his shoulder, hopped onto the cloud, and set off- leaving a trail of golden vapor in his wake.

For the adventurous, thrill-seeking Gohan, this would be the very first time his father had ever taken him out for a ride on his magical cloud. Upon seeing the land shrink beneath them and his horizon become filled with bodies of white clouds drifting past him, the boy found himself staring in awe at his new surroundings.

Giggles and laughter left the excited boy's lips as his father took nimbus on an exciting journey across the heavens. The cloud performed various turns and dives along its route, giving both father and son one heck of a rollercoaster ride. Understandably both boys were thrilled, with Goku grinning at his child when he saw how much fun he was having.

Deciding to take a more scenic route, the father brought Nimbus lower and had the cloud traverse through the mountains and across a lake, where he allowed his son to dip his hand down and push it through the water. The spray of water they left behind as nimbus tore over the lagoon's surface left a rainbow, marking that moment as one of the biggest highlights on the pair's journey across the continent.

Eventually Goku put them back on track, with the father using his senses to hone in on _Kame House_ on Master Roshi's island, where he could feel a handful of his friends were hanging out there. Upon hitting the coast a couple minutes later, both father and son stayed high above the waves, watching as the mainland behind them slowly faded into the distance, and the big blue beneath them became filled by a scattering of small islands.

In a very short time, the pair finally reached the location of _Kame House_. Easily spotting the tiny island with the pink, wooden house resting on top of it, Goku put nimbus into a smooth descent towards the property.

"Here we are, Gohan," the man chirped, drawing his boy's attention towards the island far below. When nimbus pulled in low enough, Goku, picking his son up from his lap, hopped off of the cloud as it then pulled up, depositing the pair on the sand. With his son sitting on his father's shoulder and looking around inquisitively, the spiky haired hero approached the building. "Hey! Is anyone home?!"

Almost as soon as he called out, the clamor from inside the house soon spilled out onto the front porch, with Krillin, Bulma, Master Roshi, and even Launch stumbling out of the building to see who was calling out to them. The moment they laid their eyes on their friend, their expressions immediately became joyful.

"Goku!" Bulma exclaimed as Krillin and Launch both stepped out from behind her.

"Well, look who decided to drop by!" the blonde haired gunslinger, wearing a green tank top, blue shorts, and red windbreaker remarked. She then waved at the man. "How's it going, hero?"

"Hey!" Goku replied casually, a big smile on his face as his son remained perched happily on his shoulder.

By the time Master Roshi finally stepped out of the house with cane in hand that Bulma and everybody else noticed the boy. At first unable to recognize him due to never seeing him before, the blue-haired beauty in the white lab jacket and hot pants tilted her head. "Hey. Who's the kid?"

Krillin also appeared somewhat intrigued. "Are you trying to earn some extra cash babysitting or something?"

"Or did you pick up the poor thing from somewhere?" Launch also chimed in, trying to venture a guess as to how their simple-minded yet strong friend could've come into possession of a child. Knowing the kind of person Goku was, the reason couldn't have been anything simple. In their minds, it was probably some sort of 'lost puppy' or 'village-in-need-of-saving' case.

Of course, Goku, in typical fashion, surprised them all by turning to the curious boy on his shoulder and beaming proudly. "Nope. He's my son."

And as expected, everybody lost it. Expressions of astonishment and disbelief crossed over all four of the people standing in front of _Kame House's_ porch, with Master Roshi shouting 'Your son?' as his glasses almost slipped off his nose.

Their reactions caused Goku to laugh heartily, "Pretty wild, huh?"

With their minds effectively blown, the troop watched as their proudly grinning friend took the boy off his shoulder and set him on the ground, where the youngster stood looking between his father and his odd collection of friends. As the shock of the reveal eventually wore off a few seconds later, all of the people there- including Turtle- were able to get their first, good look at Goku's son.

Mind clearing, Bulma blinked when she saw the tiny child standing at her friend's feet. When she saw his innocent gaze fall on her, the bluenette gushed. "Oh, Goku, he's adorable," she said while leaning forward.

Also taking the time to soak in the cutie, Launch blinked when she compared the child's face to her friend's. The resemblance she saw was uncanny. "Wow… he looks just like you."

Goku chuckled while patting his son on the head. "Gohan, say hi."

Quickly remembering his manners when it came to introducing himself to new people, the toddler put his hands in front of him and bowed. "Hello, everyone."

In response, Krillin, Bulma, Roshi, Launch and Turtle all bowed at once. Before they even had a chance to look up again, the child had become distracted by the big, shelled sea creature lying on the sand beside them and had promptly moved over to investigate. When he got close to the aquatic reptile, Gohan immediately went onto all fours and crept around the old turtle cautiously, sniffing him as Roshi's companion smiled back at the youngster.

Noticing how the child was now walking around the old sea creature on all fours like a cat had Bulma, Launch and Krillin staring at the sight strangely, with the two women sharing a look.

Upon seeing his son was preoccupied, Goku grinned. "His name is Gohan."

This statement had the observing Master Roshi perk up. "Ah. I see. You named him after your grandfather, did yah?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well, that's wonderful. He's a fine, healthy looking boy. I'm sure your grandfather would be very proud," the old hermit replied, his glasses flashing as he watched Gohan circle turtle once before stopping in front of the amphibian. When Gohan sniffed him up close again, to the point his nose tapped against turtle's beak, the child grinned and reached up, patting the creature on the head. The giggle he gave as the animal responded to him was a warm and adorable one. This actually had Roshi chuckle. "He certainly is a curious little fellow."

After watching Gohan greet the island's resident reptile, Bulma walked over and squatted down in front of the youngster, who then looked up at her. Standing back up onto both feet, the boy tilted his head as the woman beamed at him.

"Hey, Gohan. How old are you?" the scientist asked.

Ears twitching, the boy then held up his hand and the correct number of fingers, "Four and a half."

Bulma smiled and reached forward, patting the boy on his hat and causing him to giggle. "Are you going to grow up to be a brave fighter like your dad?"

The question had Gohan nod his head vigorously, almost shaking the cap from his head, before he corrected it quickly, "Uh-huh! I really do! Fighting is so much fun and I get to play a lot outside!" the child's smile then vanished and his head dipped. "But mum really hates it."

"Oh?" Bulma replied.

"Yeah. Chi-Chi doesn't want him to train or go out much," Goku answered with a shrug. "She wants him to grow up to become an ortho-podist or something in the future. She tries to get him to study every day so that he can get smarter and go to a good school, but Gohan absolutely hates it."

This had Gohan nod and put on a rather disgusted fate. "Reading and writing is boring." He then stuck out his tongue. "It's too easy and too long."

His comments had Krillin laugh loudly. "Well, he certainly sounds like your kid- that's for sure." It was a statement that was joined by a nod from Launch and a lighthearted chuckle from Master Roshi.

The news of Chi-Chi's displeasure towards her boy's upbringing had Bulma look at Gohan curiously. "That's really strange. Chi-Chi not wanting him to train? Huh."

In response, Goku leaned forward, cupped a hand over his mouth, and said in a low voice. "The truth is, I've been taking Gohan out in the mornings and training him in secret before the sun comes up. He's actually really, _really_ good at martial arts." When he saw the surprised looks come over everyone's faces, the man decided to hammer home his point with extra vigor. "No. Not just good. _He's fantastic_. Almost as skilled as me."

"Seriously?" Launch asked, while at the same time looking down at the kid gazing up at Bulma. "At his age? I find that hard to believe."

"No. It's true," Goku chirped, at the same time glancing down at his boy as he tilted his head and studying the woman's face. "He's got really sharp instincts, he's got excellent coordination, and he's really strong physically. He can jump about thirty feet into the air without even trying and run so fast that even I have trouble keeping up with him. The first time we trained together he managed to knock me to the ground. Almost broke my ribs too."

This news had Krillin stare bug-eyed at his friend. "Almost? That's… _incredible_." He knew how strong his best friend was. For him to actually say that without an ounce of hesitation, the man knew he must've been telling the truth.

"I know, right?" the spiky haired hero chirped.

Gohan, having become quite fascinated with the blue-haired angel staring at him, had taken about a minute to inspect her face, body and outfit up close. After several moments of glancing her over, the child then felt a smile tug at his lips before his tail started wagging happily.

"You're very pretty!"

Looking quite taken aback by the comment, Bulma then gave a giggle and reached forward to ruffle the boy's head some more. "Why thank you, Gohan. My, you're quite the little charmer, aren't you?" After hearing the child laugh under her ministrations, the bluenette then withdrew her hand and noticed the brown appendage waving behind him. Her expression quickly changed. "Hm? A tail?"

"Yeah. He was born with it- just like me," Goku said, watching as his son returned to his hands and crawled around the bluenette. Circling her and getting right behind her rump, which caused the woman to straighten up slightly in surprise, the father chuckled. "He's also pretty wild and brave, and loves exploring the woods outside our house. Since he goes out so much, he's gotten pretty good at looking after himself. One time he was gone for a full day and when he came back, he said he'd caught a couple of fish to eat, which Chi-Chi thought was crazy."

Around this time, Bulma was struck by a rather alarming thought. After Gohan was done checking her out and had gone over to check out Launch and the others, the bluenette stood up and whispered to Goku. "Uhh… has anything, you know, _strange_ ever happened to Gohan at night?" she asked while glancing at her friend cautiously.

Goku of course looked clueless. "What do you mean?"

Master Roshi quickly tiptoed over. "She means, has Gohan ever looked at the moon at night? When it's full?"

"I… don't think so." Following a moment of tense silence, in which everyone had their eyes and ears glued to the martial artist, Goku looked away vacantly. "No. We all go to bed pretty early… so we never ever really get many chances to look up at the stars." Though there were those few times that Chi-Chi wanted to try something a little more _romantic_ outdoors with her husband. Aside from those really fun, naked wrestling matches he'd had with her under their usual tree, nothing else interesting actually happened to them. "Why?"

While his friends Bulma, Launch and Krillin averted their gazes for obvious reasons, Master Roshi jumped in and hurriedly deflected his student's concerns.

From there, the group of old friends then converged on the sand and spent a good chunk of their morning catching up.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Somewhere on the mainland, in a barren waste far from any known civilization, the caped form of Piccolo could be spotted standing atop a rocky plateau. The wind cutting across the countryside whipped at his clothes, which flapped and fluttered on the breeze as the sounds of solitude blanketed the entire region. Though it wasn't clear exactly why the demon king's son had relegated himself to such a location, it was clear from his posture and the look on his face that he was stuck deep in thought.

Everything that'd happened in the last few months had given several small concerns for him to mellow over. Chief amongst which was Goku's family and his son, who only a few short weeks ago had witnessed take down a full-grown dragon. The display of strength that he had witnessed and the amount of energy he'd felt in that moment had been enough to rock Piccolo to his core, leaving him feeling not only concerned for his plans for the future, but also incredibly worried by how this new, undeveloped super power meant for the world as a whole.

"_Hmm… Goku's brat might become a problem,"_ the warrior thought, his mind circling the image of the child bathed in smoke and standing atop the mighty beast's corpse. After all, a child of that nature and strength could be unpredictable. It was a wild card of multiple suites, burdened with multiple possibilities and unknown outcomes. Though a momentary sense of dread flickered through his mind when he imagined having the force that child displayed directly squarely at him, Piccolo then cracked open his eyes when a new idea crossed his mind. _"Maybe… I'll be able to make use of it someday."_

The thought had a lot of promise. After all, the child was still young. Perhaps there was a chance that he could be manipulated in the future and led down another path. The path to conquest?

Of course, before Piccolo could begin making more sense of the idea, a loud ping on his radar caused the man to wheel around sharply and his eyes to lock onto the sky in alarm. In that instant, the man felt the full blast of a massive power level appear on the horizon, which grew closer and closer as the seconds ticked past.

"W-What is that? I've… never sensed so much power!" Rotating around completely as his cape flapped on the wind, the green warrior fixed his glare on the clouds as he kept all his senses fixed on the presence approaching him. _"It can't be Goku. It's… It's too horrible."_ As his eyes scanned the sky, he suddenly spotted a speck appear in the blue, which grew bigger as it flew towards him at an incredible speed. When Piccolo was able to make it out as a person, his expression reflected his astonishment. "Who is that?!"

A split second later the figure dove down from the sky, a sonic boom ringing out before his feet slammed into the ground with such force it cracked it. What the demon of earth soon found himself gaping at was a tall, muscular, and incredibly threatening looking man with very long, black spiky hair, a strong jaw, and a fierce expression. Aside from his arms and legs, which were completely exposed to the elements, the man was covered from neck to toe in a very unusual, black and brown armor with accented shoulder and side guards. He also had some unusual headpiece sitting over his left ear with a green visor over his eye, which suddenly beeped the moment the stranger's gaze landed on him.

The wind that kicked up ruffled both Piccolo's cape and the new arrival's hair, in a standoff that had the former quivering in his shoes.

"Excuse me for dropping in," the man greeted in a very gruff yet surprisingly polite manner as a stiff wind continued to cut over the rise of the outcrop. "I'm trying to find a man by the name of _Kakarot_. I thought _you_ were him."

Following a very tense faceoff, Piccolo steeled his expression and glared back at the stranger. "Well, you thought wrong. Now turn around and get out of here before I get angry."

The imposing man cocked an eyebrow. "Someone's having a bad day."

"Tsk. You have no idea," Piccolo replied impatiently. "My patience is wearing thin. Get lost. I'm not going to tell you a third time."

Feeling amused at the man's attempts to look scar, the stranger reached up and pressed a button on the side of his device. "In a moment." He then chuckled as a new series of beeps rang out, the visor over his left eye coming up with a set of odd numbers as an arrow blinked on the person in front of him. "Hmm… power level of 322. Quaint." The numbers then disappeared, leaving the visitor amused. "I can tell from your appearance that you're not from this planet. Even so, it would be foolish to try and attack me… especially with such a… disappointing power."

Gritting his teeth, Piccolo set himself into a defensive posture. "Okay, listen. You came here to me, so I have no intention of starting a fight."

The stranger meanwhile chuckled, "I do."

Hearing this caused the demon to grit his teeth and snarl angrily. Though every sensibility in Piccolo's head told him not to do anything hostile, he became so unnerved by the warrior's power signature and so infuriated by his flippant attitude of him that the warrior had had enough. _"If that's how he wants it…"_ His right arm flexing as a rush of ki ran into his palm, Piccolo then gave a mighty shout and thrust his palm forward. A flash of blinding orange light then left his hand and engulfed the warrior in a concussive explosion, which detonated against the edge of the plateau and sent a cloud of dust and rubble belching into the air.

When the smoke started to fade, Piccolo felt a relieved grin spread over his lips, only to then have his jaw drop when he saw the stranger's form emerge from the haze- unharmed and seemingly untouched.

The long-haired man laughed as he reached up with his hand and casually brushed off the dust on his shoulder. "Impressive. You actually managed to singe some of my leg hairs with that one." Seeing the earth-bound warrior's eyes widen and an exclamation of horror leave his gape, the new arrival then raised his right arm and held his palm skywards. "Allow me to demonstrate a more effective attack. It's one of my favorites. I call it a _Double Sunday_. See if you can follow this one."

Feeling the man's power level spiking to a ridiculously high level and thinking he was about to get annihilated with one hit, Piccolo braced himself for the inevitable. It was only when another beep followed by a flash of numbers from the stranger's device that his attention was torn from the demon and pulled eastwards.

The readout that appeared in the glass caused the big man to frown. "Hmph… talk about poor timing. And this was just starting to get interesting." The alien then shot up into the sky, stopping about a hundred stories above the desert, where he proceeded to scan the horizon. While Piccolo watched slack jawed and shaken on the plateau below, the perturbed humanoid male then rotated his body around in the direction his electronic compass was pointing him. "There it is- just on the edge of my scouter's range. A couple more big power levels… including a very large one. Probably the largest on this planet." He then narrowed his eyes on the multiple numbers flashing across his screen, including one that caused him to recoil before reaching up and tapping the unit. When he saw the numbers recalculate and the counter finally stop, the warrior smirked. "Oh my. A resting power level of 416? That's got to be him!"

Without saying another world, the man powered up and shot off across the wasteland, leaving Piccolo atop his rock of solitude.

Upon seeing the stranger vanish into the distance, the shocked warrior collapsed to his hands and knees and panted heavily. The stress of the situation had left him on the verge of collapsing. When he reran the scenario in his head, Piccolo couldn't help but shake his head.

"I don't believe it. I hit him full force at pointblank range and he didn't even flinch!" He then clenched his jaw as he glared across the sky, towards the horizon where the powerful warrior had gone. _"This guy… he's bad news."_

As the spiky haired, armored visitor from another world cruised across the sky and casual, subsonic flight, the man frowned and reached up to tap his scouter again. Double-checking his heading as he found himself approaching the continent's main coastline, the man frowned when he got another readout and shook his head. "Damn. I need to get this thing checked for bugs when I get back to FP-79 (Frieza Planet 79)."

Though the scanner was working fine now, the man believed that his device had developed a small glitch after entering the planet's atmosphere, an error which had prompted him to do a second scan of those big power levels he was now homing in on. All of the energy signatures his scouter was picking up were hovering between 130 and 420.

The first time he'd checked the area however- though it'd only flickered across his screen for a split second before the numbers recalculated- he could've sworn one of those power levels cropped up at over 4,000.

Maybe he was just imagining it. There was no way someone as strong as Nappa was living on this planet.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

A little while after Piccolo's encounter with the mysterious alien in the desert was wrapping up, back on Master Roshi's island Goku had just gotten through hearing about all the little adventures his friends had gotten up to over the last five years in brief. He found out from Bulma that Yamcha had started playing professional baseball and that the pair's relationship was currently going on steady. He learned about the new kinds of training routines Krillin was undertaking in between his days of construction work and tutelage under Roshi. And he even found out a bit about Tien and Chiaotzu from Launch, who said that the pair had gone off to train in the northern mountains ranges together, and had left her alone.

Apparently the three-eyed martial artist that the blonde gunslinger had become interested in didn't express any sort of regard or mutual feelings towards her at all, leaving the gutsy young woman hanging and at a bit of an emotional loss. After spending a few months soul-searching and getting all her affairs in order, Launch eventually found her way back to _Kame House_, where all of the friends and people who cared about her were staying.

Thanks to all of their history with each other, both Launches had become quite fond of the Z-fighters and she wanted to continue to play a big part in their lives.

Hearing all of this made Goku feel incredibly happy that all of his companions were doing well and that all of them had been keeping themselves busy over the last few years. This then led to the young father revealing a little bit more about his family life and how much time he was spending with them.

Goku understandably expressed a great deal of joy and enthusiasm toward his son's eagerness to train with him and get stronger, a remark that was punctuated by the sight of the child playing in the rolling waves and stalking fish in the shallows. When they saw him manage to catch a large one with his mouth after pouncing on it, Krillin and Launch couldn't help but see even more similarities between Gohan and his eccentric father.

However, while with Goku he was much more simple and grown-up due to his maturity, Gohan's behaviors were a lot more instinct-driven and animalistic. It was like he had his father's wild-nature switched on at all times and amplified, making them suspect that this may have something to do with his heritage.

Clearly everyone on the father's side weren't what you would consider normal.

After Gohan was done exploring the perimeter of the island, he then settled down to playing with Launch. He managed to clamber onto the blonde's shoulder and begin playing with her golden, curly hair, a sight that had Bulma and the others admiring while the bipolar gunslinger blushed in embarrassment.

Just as thoughts of heading inside started to manifest in their heads, Gohan- head perking up from nuzzling Launch's hair- suddenly snapped his eyes towards the horizon. Almost on cue the boy sprang off of the woman, dropped down to the sand, got on all fours and growled. At first the group were a bit caught off guard when they saw the boy's hair on his head and tail stand on end and bristle as he continued to snarl through bared teeth like a dog, until Goku, Krillin and Master Roshi also picked up what had appeared on the child's radar. All three fighters quickly looked towards the sky at once, which greatly confused both Bulma and Launch at the unexpected mood change.

"Whoa? What's going on?" the gunslinger remarked.

"Is something wrong, you guys?" Bulma asked immediately afterwards.

Sweat breaking out on his face, Goku trembled nervously when his senses honed in on the disturbance. "There's something really bad heading straight for us."

"What?" the scientist balked, before also turning towards the ocean in the direction everyone was looking. "Are you sure, Goku?"

"I'm positive," the man responded. "I've never felt a power like _this_ before. Not even from Piccolo."

Master Roshi also felt his body quiver as he fixed all of his attention on the incoming signal. "Such an awful and terrifying energy. Just what kind of presence could possibly emit such a menacing force?" His eyes quickly looked over to Gohan, where he saw the kid had dug his nails into the sand and was growling a little louder this time- obviously at whatever was causing him to react that way.

For the next few seconds the gang stood silent- watching and waiting as the large, evil energy signature drew closer and closer. At first Bulma and Launch were left completely dumbfounded, unable to see anything. However, as everyone was looking out across the ocean, the blonde gunslinger saw something burst through the clouds.

"Look! Up there!" the fierce beauty shouted.

"Yes. I see it," Master Roshi replied while everyone quickly put up their guards. As the thing drew closer to them, the turtle hermit was able to get a good read on the person's ki signature, which almost immediately had him sweating bullets. _"This isn't good. That presence has the stench of death about it."_

Almost as soon as the hermit finished that though, the figure dropped from the sky and landed directly in front of the group. The person that Goku and his friends found themselves confronting was the exact same man that Piccolo had met out in the desert- his spiky hair framing a bulky, muscular build, and adorned in a very unorthodox set of accented battle armor. When he straightened up to full height following his graceful touchdown, the man easily towered above everyone present, including Goku. Coupled with his incredibly otherworldly, menacing appearance, this unknown and dangerous looking individual cast a very long and ominous shadow over the entire island.

While Goku, Krillin and everybody else appeared momentarily alarmed at the sight of the man, the only one who didn't appear intimidated in the least was Gohan- who continued to snarl in the direction of the newcomer.

As a tense silence fell over the area, a loud beeping sound suddenly started to ring out, as the weird device resting over the stranger's eye began to scan the group. Isolating each and every person in front of him, the spiky haired stranger quickly fixed his attention on Goku, who he then flashed a very unnerving grin.

"Heh. So we meet again at last… after all these years," the warrior spoke, folding his arms as he tilted his head at the martial artist dressed in orange and blue. "You've grown up, but I still recognize you… Kakarot."

Hearing the man's words caused Krillin and the others to blink in confusion, with Goku appearing the most perplexed. "K-Kakarot?"

"That's right. That's your name," the long-haired stranger insisted, a proud smile on his face as he lifted his head up high. Though he kept his gaze up high, the man could still here the low growling from the infant youngster crouching on the sand in front of the adults- though he paid him little mind.

It quickly became clear on everybody's faces that they had no idea what was going on, with Bulma, Launch and Krillin looking between one another in confusion. After shrugging and tilting their heads at one another, clearly unable to come up with any logical answers, the group then looked back at the stranger.

"His name? Who is this guy?" Krillin asked incredulously. "He must be nuts."

Growing a tad bit impatient at the poor reception he was getting, the spiky haired new arrival pointed across at the man he was addressing. "Kakarot! What have you been doing here all these years? Your mission was to terminate all life on this planet! Why haven't you carried that out?"

With Goku scratching his head over what this weird-looking man was saying to him, when he looked back at Master Roshi for clarification, Krillin heedlessly moved forward. "Listen mister. I don't know who you are, but you've obviously got the wrong guy." Being sure to step around the crouching Gohan- who was continuing to remain on guard in his typical, animalistic fashion- the bald fighter approached the individual and stood in front of him. "Since you clearly seem to be lost, allow me to escort you off of this-"

Senses triggering when he saw the belt around the man's waist light up, Goku's eyes widened before he shouted in warning, "KRILLIN! WATCH OUT!"

Before his friend could react, there was a loud _**THWACK**_, followed immediately by Krillin being knocked off his feet and sent flying into the corner of _Kame House_. His impact with it smashed a hole right into the building's wall, splinters cascading from the gap as the poor fighter's leg remained dangling over the broken edges.

Upon seeing the dust settle around the crash site, Goku and the others wheeled around to glare at the stranger, with Launch quickly pulling a pair of pistols from behind her. The moment she cocked the pair of Desert Eagles she'd drawn, she took aim at the large man and braced herself.

"BASTARD!" she shouted, before she unloaded a barrage of bullets on the stranger.

In the blink of an eye, the man unfolded one of his arms and speedily whipped it about in front of him. In a blur, he managed to catch every single projectile flying towards him. When Launch stopped firing seconds later, she, Bulma, Roshi and Goku, all of whom had clenched their ears at the sheer volume of her firearms, blinked when they saw the smirking stranger hold his clenched fist over his chest, before slowly opening his fingers.

Dropping the bullets to the sand, the stranger cocked his head cheekily. "Care to try that again?"

Gritting her teeth, Launch emptied her pistols' magazines. The moment the clips dropped from her guns, the woman speedily thrust her arms out- flinging out a new pair of yellow and black-striped magazines from her sleeves with 'CAUTION' labels on them, and speed loading them into her pistols. As soon as her handguns snapped into the armed position, the woman then aimed them once more.

"Sure! EAT THIS!" Launch shouted, before a deafening _**BANG**_ as loud as a tank firing rang out, followed instantly by a gargantuan flash of flames from her two pistols going off simultaneously. Unlike before, the sheer force of the kickback from her handguns not only launched the woman's arms back, but knocked the blonde beauty off her feet and straight into Roshi on the porch, who managed to catch her.

The spiky-haired stranger actually felt his eyes widen at the speed of these next projectiles, which prompted him to snap both his arms across to catch them. The impact of the rounds landing in his hands knocked the man skidding back along the sand and into the shallows of the ocean. When he managed to stop a few feet later, he revealed his body bent over back, his arms held over his face, and his fingers and thumbs pinching a pair of glowing, orange bullets that he'd crushed in his effort to stop them.

The visitor to the island chuckled when he saw the startled expressions that came over the group's faces, with Launch expressing the greatest shock at seeing her Mach 3, armor-piercing bullets get stopped by the warrior. _"Bulma made those for me! They're designed to drill through mountains and bunkers! So how did…?" _Ever since she realized how useless bullets were becoming against guys like Goku and Piccolo, Launch had asked her scientist friend to help modify her tools to help her take down monsters of that level. For _this_ guy to be able to stop her specially upgraded rounds, it was like he'd just caught a pair of tank shells being fired at him at pointblank range.

Upon laughing at their looks, the man eyed the blonde rather humorously. "I like you." Comment made, he then dropped the smoking slabs of lead and dusted his hands, before stepping out of the shallows and resuming his initial spot with his arms crossed.

It was at that moment, as the group stared at the armored stranger, Goku, Bulma, Launch and Master Roshi all felt their tense expressions transform into awe when they saw what the stranger had used to hit Krillin with.

The weird belt that'd been wrapped around the man's waist moments before was actually a brown, furry tail- exactly the same kind that Goku had when he was a kid and exactly the same kind that his son also had.

"I… I don't believe it," Bulma stuttered when she got a full glimpse of the appendage waving in the air beside the stranger. "He has a tail too!" When she looked down at Gohan and saw the boy still growling at the stranger, the bluenette quickly ducked forward, wrapped her arms around him and tried to pull him back. Much to her surprise however, she found that she couldn't budge him an inch, leaving her kneeling precariously in full view of the new arrival.

While the stranger gave the woman and child pair another glance- and Krillin hilariously pulled himself out of the hole he'd made- when the invader looked back up at Goku and saw the mystified look on his face, he smirked. "Well… isn't it about time you recognized me, Kakarot?"

The spiky haired hero shook his head. "Sorry, but… no. I don't."

This of course had the man's mood drop yet again. "You mean to say you don't remember me? Recognize me?" He then lowered his head angrily. "That seems highly unlikely. After all, members of our race have adapted extremely sharp mental faculties in order to facilitate our growth. We can learn and remember specific details about our environment and origins, even as newborns." Scrunching his brow thoughtfully, he then pointed towards his head. "Did you suffer some kind of head injury when you were younger that caused you to lose your memories?"

Thinking on it for a moment, the troubled Goku reached up and patted his head. "Yeah. Now that you mention it, I _did_ hit my head when I was a child. I still have the scar from when it happened." His remark had the stranger click his tongue in annoyance, while also causing a listening Master Roshi to perk up in realization.

"So you forgot?" the stranger scoffed, his temper clearly showing through his teeth as his energy levels steadily began to climb. "How vexing."

Before both he and the hero's frustrations could grow any further and lead to something more than a few choice words with one another, the Turtle Hermit- having remained silent throughout a majority of the conversation thus far- wisely chose to chime in. "Goku… there's something that your grandfather told me that I think you should know." When Roshi saw everyone turn their attention to him, the elderly man proceeded to speak. "Long ago, Gohan was walking through the woods when he stumbled upon a crater that'd recently been made in the ground. When he went to examine it more closely, he found some sort of spaceship lying at the bottom of it and, next to it, _you_." His glasses flashed as he began drawing on more details, with his story giving time for everyone around him to catch their breath and settle their nerves. "He tried to take care of you, but you were wild, uncontrollable, and constantly lashing out at him- showing an incredible amount of strength for a baby. You were nothing like an ordinary, human child."

It was this statement that had Goku and Bulma momentarily glance down at the younger Gohan in front of them. While the father quickly recalled all of the times his son exhibited the strange traits Roshi was describing to them, the latter couldn't help but study the child as he continued to remain on full alert.

"_Is that why he's acting like this? Because of his dad... and wherever he came from?" _the scientist thought, quickly putting two and two together. As all of this was coming to light, everything was starting to make a whole lot more sense.

"You wanted nothing to do with his kindness," Roshi continued without missing a beat. "But then, one day, there was a terrible accident. You fell into a ravine and hit your head on the rocks. When Gohan thought he'd lost you, you miraculously survived. Any other child would've died, but you recovered… and from that day on you became a happy, loving boy. The same one we came to know and love."

This news shocked Goku and his friends, leaving all of them standing around looking flabbergasted. The stranger meanwhile remained patient- listening to the story so that it could help fill in some of the gaps for him. Once it was over, both the Z-fighters' and the invaders' fears had been confirmed, leaving all of them at a bit of a loss for words.

Though Bulma and Gohan had been listening, the youngster had kept his eyes on the visitor the entire time- his expression twisted into one of utter concentration and focus. Even now the boy's instincts prevented him from taking even a few seconds to look away from the threatening looking man, who he could sense still posed an incredible danger.

"I'm… from outer space?" Goku gulped, which earned a nod from his old teacher.

"Yes," Roshi answered.

Krillin, upon finally processing all of this information just like the others, placed a hand on his hip while the other nursed his swollen jaw. "Well… that would explain a lot. So do you think that Goku and Gohan has some sort of connection to this guy?" he asked, at the same time turning his gaze back to their visitor. The tail was a big giveaway.

Remembering that they still had a problem to take care of, everybody else used that cue to lock their attention on their planet's uninvited guest.

"I can't be sure," Master Roshi replied warily.

Goku, resetting his guard as he faced off against the newcomer, narrowed his eyes intently. "Alright… I think it's about time you did some explaining of your own. First- who are you?"

Realizing he now had the group's full and undivided attention on him once more, the invader smirked. "Let's start at the top. Yes- you and the old man are right. You're not from this world, Kakarot. You were born on a distant planet on the other side of the galaxy called Vegeta: home of the Saiyan race- the most powerful and renowned warriors in the universe! You are one of us!" This statement caused Goku and his friends to appear taken aback, as this was not something they were expecting to hear. But the best was yet to come. "And as for your other question, my name is Raditz. I'm your older brother."

Krillin felt his jaw come undone, only to wince when he felt the muscles sting. "N-No way! Brother?"

"Did he just say brother?" Launch asked, thinking that she might have misheard them for a second. "That's crazy!"

"If he's really an alien like he said he is, then what the heck's he doing on Earth?" Bulma asked, keeping her arms wrapped around the crouching Gohan- despite her strength and weight on him not doing much. Thankfully the kid seemed to have calmed down a little bit and was remaining locked in place.

The villain, now identified as Raditz, smirked. "It's not hard to understand. Kakarot was sent to this world with a simple mission not long after he was born, one that he has clearly failed. To destroy the dominant sentient lifeforms on this planet." When he saw the disbelieving look the group gave him, the menacing relative proceeded. "You see, we Saiyans aren't just warriors. We're also what you'd call… planet brokers… and exceptional ones at that. We scour the universe in search of worlds with habitable environments and then use our skills to eliminate the native lifeforms ruling over them. Once cleared, the planets are then sold to any alien race willing to pay the price. For those planets whose inhabitants have high power levels, adult Saiyans are sent to subdue the territories. But to planets like this one- where the populations are weak and unremarkable- we send our infants."

Allowing a moment for the info to sink in, he saw the looks of astonishment fester over the troop. During his observations, Raditz's scouter beeped again, drawing his attention down towards the child crouching beneath him. When he saw the numbers jump up, his eyebrows cocked momentarily, before he looked back at the group of adults facing him.

"This is how you came to be here, Kakarot. Even by yourself, a year or two would've been more than enough time for you to liquidate these human pests. Could've done it easily if you hadn't lost your memory," Raditz stated, saying that last bit with a clear hint of disappointment. He then momentarily glanced upwards and smirked. "And considering the size of this planet's moon, you should've easily been able to tap into your dormant powers. When gazing upon the reflection of a sun in a celestial body, a Saiyan is able to stimulate the primordial cells coursing through them and transform into the mighty Oozaru- or great ape. This form would've allowed you to decimate most of this entire planet and its inhabitants in a single night." He then looked across at his brother and frowned. "But… considering you lost your tail… you've become nothing but a broken down, traitorous disgrace."

Goku clenched his jaw and raised his fist. "It doesn't matter who or what you say I am- this is my home and these are my friends." He then shook his head at the Saiyan when he saw him smirk in his direction. "And you sure as heck don't act like any brother I'd ever want to have. Someone as cruel and cold like you is not welcome here!" He then grinned and pointed at himself. "My name is Goku and this is _my_ home! So why don't you take off and leave us alone?!" His demand was followed by another growl from Gohan and a glare from Bulma, both of whom directed their animosity towards the unwelcome visitor.

Launch smirked at the man's gutsy statement. "Yeah! You tell him, Goku!"

"That's right!" Master Roshi also shouted as he stepped forward to stand beside his pupil. "Whatever his past, Goku is one of us now! In fact, he's a better human than any of us!"

"Yeah! He even saved the world before!" Krillin shot back at the towering Saiyan boldly, despite having nearly knocked out by his attack. "A murderous, planet-conquering pirate would never do something like that! So take the hint and scram!"

Their barrage of statements drew another laugh from Raditz, who then went about admiring the house behind them and then the rest of the island. "Is that it, huh? Little brother wants to be left alone on this little, blue mud-ball of a world he now calls home? Well unfortunately that's not going to happen. You see, a few years ago, our home planet was met with an unfortunate accident, when a massive meteor collided with it and vaporized most of our entire race along with it. Now, as far as we know, there are only four Saiyans left, including the two of us. We were the only members of our race away from home on assignment when our planet exploded." The man then uncrossed his arms and held them out. "As it so happens, we've found another world we wish to conquer, only the inhabitants are too potent for the three of us to handle alone. We were almost about to pass it up, until I remembered _you_. You may not be as powerful as I'd hoped, but with your help we should manage nicely. So… what do you think?"

At this point, Goku had heard enough. Putting his foot down, the hero barked at the man angrily. "I refuse! There's no way I'd ever join a gang of pirates like you! You attack planets and kill innocent people! I'd rather die than ever stoop to slaughtering people for profit!"

"Hmph. So be it," Raditz remarked, before then glancing down at Bulma and Gohan. When he saw the kid was still snarling at him, the long-haired invader then cocked an eyebrow. "I guess I'll have to settle with taking your son instead."

When he said this, the entire group was immediately alarmed, with Goku hurriedly stepping forward to stand in the way of his boy as he Bulma continued to hold onto him.

"You leave my son out of this!" the warrior shouted.

"Hmph. I'll decide that!" Raditz responded, setting his arms at his sides and proceeding to walk across the sand towards the group, all of whom quickly took up defensive positions. "Your boy has quite the fire in his eyes, an untempered warrior's spirit… _and_ he still has his tail. I think he will make a fine warrior, given the proper motivation and training."

Goku clenched his jaw, sweat trickling down his face as he watched his older brother march towards him. Launch reloaded her pistols and took aim again, with Krillin also taking up guard alongside his best friend.

The group seemed ready for a throw-down. However, just as Raditz was closing in on them, one of their number suddenly and unexpectedly broke ranks.

With a flick of his tail and a grunt, Gohan shoved Bulma off of him and darted out of her arms- bolting to the side in a blur of movement. The ambling Raditz actually pulled a double-take when he spotted the child appear on the sand to his far right, before watching the youngster charge at him with a yell of rage. Responding instinctively, the man vanished in a flicker, leaving an afterimage in his wake and avoiding the child when he slammed into the ground, kicking up a towering blast of sand.

The shockwave the child generated on impact sent a blast of wind into the group's faces, all of whom found themselves gaping at the boy when his form slowly emerged from the haze.

"W-Whoa!" Krillin exclaimed when he saw the ten foot wide crater the child was standing in. "Did he just-"

"Gohan!" Goku shouted. When he noticed his son glaring up into the sky, the alarmed father and everybody else looked up as well.

Raditz, having avoided the opening attack by taking to the air, frowned down at the child that was now glaring daggers up at him and snarling. "Hmm. Unusual." He then reached up and pressed the button of his scouter, causing numbers to come up as he isolated the scanner on the youngster. When it came back to him, the man balked. "An agitated power level of 915? And it's still rising? Impossible! How could a mere child-" Stopping when he remembered how the youngster was acting before, the taller warrior smirked. "Ah. I see how it is. Kakarot's brat must've inherited the Saiyan's natural instincts for fighting and the race's primal aggression that his father rejected. Not bad for a half-breed."

With his power level and vicious nature, Raditz was sure that this youngster would make a fine warrior in the future.

Glancing up to see Goku and his friends all staring up at his airborne form, the Saiyan invader decided to take action. Bringing a hand up and raising a finger, the man then swung it in a downward arc, firing off a beam of energy at the group scattered on the sand. His attack carved across the island and caused a wall of pink flames to detonate directly in front of Goku and the others, knocking all of them off their feet.

Gohan, glancing behind him when he heard the screams of his father and friends, then snapped his gaze back up- only to lose sight of his foe. Before he could react, his entire body suddenly froze up as a great pain shot through every nerve-ending in his system. Eyes going blurry and his strength vanishing in an instant, the child then collapsed, only to get hoisted into the air when Raditz heaved him up by his tail with barely any effort.

Apparently while the boy had been momentarily distracted by the plight of his friends, Raditz had used that opportunity to swiftly get behind him and grab him by his one weak spot.

"That was impressive runt. I have to say, you've certainly peaked my curiosity," Raditz remarked, before turning around to see the wall of smoke he'd left fade. When it cleared, he saw a fallen Goku, Bulma and everybody else gaping across at him- having barely avoided certain death. "If you want to see your son again, I suggest you listen carefully. In order to reclaim your honor and prove your loyalty to your race, I want you to kill a hundred humans by noon tomorrow. Just dump the bodies on the beach. I'll be back to do a headcount. If not…" He then sneered as he held up the youngster now dangling unconsciously from his hand, "I'll just take your son as a consolation prize. At least then my trip to this world wouldn't have been a total waste of my time."

Before Goku could even scramble to his feet, Raditz's body gave off a sudden blast of wind as he powered up, before taking off with a sonic boom- leaving the island behind him as he streaked back towards the mainland. All the gang could do at that point was gape after the Saiyan warrior, with the father running to the edge of the water with an expression twisted in fear.

"GOHAN! NO!" the man cried out, feeling completely powerless as he watched the man who claimed to be his brother fly off with his son.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Author's Note:** Okay. This was a fun chapter to write. It sets up the inevitable confrontation between Raditz and Gohan in the next update, as well as the battle he will have with Goku and Piccolo. The next chapter is where the biggest divergence occurs, because since Gohan has displayed a very fierce and adamant desire for fighting, Raditz wants to test out how powerful he actually is.

Especially since his energy levels fluctuate very erratically. Raditz, being the cautious and tactical fighter that he is, wants to put this strength to the test and report to Vegeta and Nappa his discovery.

Also, unlike the author, I haven't forgotten about Launch. I figured that in the five year gap, the woman would take some extra precautions when faced with enemies as strong as Goku and Piccolo. So I had her form a standing association with Bulma in the past five years, who then helps the gunslinger to modify her tech to fight against super powered monsters- one of which is a pistol ammunition type I got inspired from the hero _**Zombieman**_ in _**One-Punch Man**_.

If anyone can tell me where that scene is from and what happens in it, you get exclusive bragging rights.

I took inspiration from that scene and added it in this chapter. I've got big plans coming up that I'm looking forward to writing.

Hope you guys enjoyed this.


	3. Raditz Saga - Primal Power

**Author's Note:** This next leg of the story I took some inspiration from the _**Budokai Tenkaichi 2 Alternate Storyline "Fateful Brothers"**_ to generate this particular scenario. Let me know what you guys think.

Also, there is another scene towards the end I was inspired to write after watching a very interesting 'What If'.

* * *

**Dragonball Z**

_**Alter Age**_

_Primal Power_

(A short time later)

After traversing across the south-eastern parts of the mainland for a couple of minutes- passing over mountains, rivers, roads, and the odd building- Raditz finally came upon the valley where his ship had landed. Spotting the farmer's truck and the massive crater sitting in the center of the rolling hills and scattering of trees, the armored Saiyan promptly descended from the sky and touched down on the grass. Making sure to land far enough away from his ship, the invader gave a quick sweep of the area with his scouter, before then setting the child he'd kidnapped down on the ground.

Releasing Gohan's tail, the visitor from outer space took a few steps back and proceeded to wait for the youngster to regain consciousness.

"_I'm sure that Kakarot will consider my request… especially with his son's life on the line,"_ Raditz thought, at the same time exhaling deeply as he let the stress from his encounter peter out.

Upon catching his breath, the Saiyan scout then focused his attention on the child at his feet. Staring for a couple of seconds and hearing him groan, Raditz then reached up and pressed the main button on his device, watching as the numbers and arrows on the green visor jumped up as the unit proceeded to analyze Gohan's vitals and bio-signature.

"He's half-Saiyan. There's no doubt about that. But he's exceptionally powerful for a child so small. He must be… four… maybe five years old, at least," Raditz estimated, narrowing his eyes on the glass when it finally returned to him with a collection of data. "Judging from his build and body structure, he's adapted well to his Saiyan's wild nature and strength… though it's a lot more extreme than I was expecting. Maybe it has something to do with the odd mixture of Saiyan and human blood in his veins?"

Upon considering the information he was able to garner from his quick inspection of his nephew, Raditz then took a moment to assess his current situation.

His reunion with his younger brother and subsequent conversation with him and his companions had raised some doubts within the Saiyan warrior about his sibling's willingness to comply with his demands.

Despite having tried to approach the encounter diplomatically and peacefully on his first meeting with his sibling, the young man's memory loss- as well as his continued refusal to join his cause- had brought about a great deal of impatience with the Saiyan soldier. When Raditz then attempted to appeal to his sibling's inner Saiyan desires for combat and capitalize on his thirst for adventure and challenge, Kakarot continued to resist, which only added fuel to the invader's frustration. This then resulted in the older Saiyan taking more drastic measures, in which he decided to blackmail his brother into joining him by kidnapping his son and giving him an ultimatum.

Though this wasn't the strategy that Raditz wanted to use, he was desperate to try and get his little brother back. Despite being a soldier in Frieza's forces and a comrade to Prince Vegeta, his low-class status as a warrior as well as his laughable strength as a trooper made him feel incredibly insecure about his position. As far as he knew, he was practically expendable muscle in the Frieza Force- just another, random body to throw at the enemy and a weakling. Though so far he'd relied on his wiles and his keen eye for strategy to survive for this long, compared to other fighters like Nappa and Vegeta, he was practically nobody.

The fact that he was continuously looked down on by the rest of the soldiers, including his two would-be teammates and fellow Saiyan survivors, made him feel as though his worth within the military was teetering on the edge of dismissal.

And from what he heard, Frieza's concept of _discharge_ for his soldiers wasn't a pleasant one.

He hoped that by bringing his brother in and presenting another warrior worthy of Frieza's military would allow him to reclaim some of his lost value as a soldier, as well as receive a form of reward and commendation for his efforts. Saiyans were sturdy warriors after all. Even if they couldn't achieve high ranks within the Frieza Force, members of their race who were talented and capable enough in combat could still function well as front-liners.

However, following his meeting with his brother on that tiny island and the poor reception he received from it, all of Raditz's plans were spectacularly thrown out the window. Clearly his sibling had fallen so far off of the path that'd been set for him it would take a miracle to get him back- if at all.

He may look a lot like their father, but in terms of character and physical strength, he was anything but.

With his brother being unreceptive to his proposal and Raditz predicting that he will continue to be stubborn, the Saiyan felt like he'd reached an impasse. But upon recalling his encounter at the island and the events that'd transpired, the warrior believed he'd found what most would regard as an "alternative solution."

What now lay before him was not the little brother he'd come to this planet to retrieve, but in fact his brother's son- a boy who, according to his scouter, showed an incredible strength and potential for greatness that he couldn't even begin to fathom.

Whether or not his impudent, traitor of a father had taught him how to harness some of this great strength and use it wasn't clear to Raditz. But based on what he was able to gauge from his brief skirmish with him, the child certainly displayed a lot of promise. Probably enough to warrant this trip a success.

If this boy- his nephew- was to receive the proper guidance, discipline, and training, he could be molded into an incredibly effective warrior. A pawn that Raditz and his comrades could use to their advantage.

"_Or just me,"_ the Saiyan thought, his brow furrowing as he collated his thoughts and considered whether he could use the strength his nephew had shown to perhaps further his own self-interests.

Upon weighing up the pros and cons, and trying to assess what his best approach could be, Raditz eventually concluded that if he was going to make the most of this discovery, he was going to have to run it through Nappa and Vegeta. As it stood, the man was nowhere near as strong as he needed to be to conflict with the likes of them or with any of the officers in Frieza's military. If he tried to start something as he was, he ran the risk of losing it all in a firefight and, being the pragmatic man that he was, he just wasn't that keen to stake his life just yet.

He was too afraid of death to take that kind of chance.

So, as his nephew struggled to recover from his paralysis, an internally tormented Raditz reached up, engaged his scouter with a couple of taps from his finger and turned his attention to the sky. "Vegeta. Can you hear me? I'm on a secure channel."

After several seconds of static, a gruff voice answered on the other end. _**"What is it Raditz?"**_

"I've arrived on Earth and made contact with my brother, Kakarot," Raditz answered to the voice, without an ounce of hesitation.

There was another tense pause before Vegeta eventually followed up. _**"And? How did it go? Did you manage to recruit him?" **_the warrior on the other end demanded in an impatient tone.

A bead of sweat appeared on Raditz's temple. "He… wasn't as receptive or cordial as I was hoping he would be. In fact, the stupid fool turned me down almost as soon as he found out who I was and why I'd come to this planet."

"_**Hmph,"**_ the voice over the scouter grunted back, before it was followed by another remark. _**"That's too bad. So… what will you do now?"**_

This was where Raditz felt his body straighten up out of reflex as he promptly prepared to relay his grand plan. "I gave him an ultimatum. If he doesn't kill a hundred people by noon tomorrow and agree to join us, he won't see his son ever again."

Vegeta gave a rather dark chuckle. _**"I see. So Raditz has decided to crack out his little mind games in order to make sure things go his way? How amusing. I sure hope that your sorry excuse for a baby brother is worth all this trouble that you're going through for him. Because if he isn't, then you might find yourself losing more than a little bit of face with us."**_ That last bit was accompanied by a cold chill, which ran down Raditz's back at the tone he sensed in the prince's voice.

Swallowing a little bit, the spiky haired scout quickly moved to the main point of his impromptu transmission. "I also discovered something else that might be of interest to you. Kakarot's son. He's only an infant of around four years old and is part earthling… but he's got a battle power close to a thousand."

There was a moment of silence.

A long silence actually, which made Raditz think for a second that his scouter might have accidentally disconnected for a moment.

However, following several tense moments, the man heard Vegeta's voice respond- this time in a less amused tone. _**"Go on."**_

Raditz sighed, "If things don't pan out with my brother, I want to bring the kid along with me. I believe that with the right care and proper training, he could prove to be a very valuable asset for us. Especially on our upcoming missions." He wisely chose to omit any details regarding Frieza and his forces, as he knew that even on a closed line that any words of possible insurrection could still potentially leak out.

Following a brief period of static, Vegeta responded in kind. _**"We have to know for sure. A matter like this can't be decided based solely on numbers. I want you to test this child yourself Raditz. If he's as strong as you say he is, then we'll have our answer. Keep this line open so that Nappa and I can get a full read-out of this kid's power." **_

The order had Raditz nod affirmatively. "Okay. Will do."

"_**Oh. And one more thing, Raditz,"**_ Vegeta suddenly interjected as the long-haired warrior was about to take his finger off the transmitter piece. _**"Don't fuck up."**_ The static then shut off, leaving the Saiyan soldier standing there feeling a little bit unnerved.

"_What was that about?"_ Raditz thought. Not willing to ponder over it for too long, the Saiyan shook his head and reached behind his armor to his beltline. _"Hm. I guess it doesn't matter."_ After rummaging around for a moment, the man eventually found what he was looking for and pulled out a small glass flask, with container itself divided into two sections- one containing a collection of seeds and another an odd liquid. The man narrowed his eyes on them. _"I was planning on using these on my next solo mission or training day, but it looks like I'll be putting them to work earlier than expected."_ He had five in total- enough for practices and other unrelated emergencies. Hopefully he wouldn't have to spend them._ "One should be enough."_

Around this point the man saw the kid on the ground start to move. After hearing him give another groan, indicating he was on the verge of coming to, the patiently waiting Raditz decided to test to see how the kid's instincts responded to danger. Without hesitation, the warrior focused his gaze and blasted the youngster with a wave of killing intent.

This small flex in his concentration had an immediate effect. As if hit with a sudden rush of adrenaline, the still unconscious youngster's eyes flew open, before the child sprang onto all fours and vanished in a flicker. He then reappeared several yards away from the spiky-haired invader in the blink of an eye, where he proceeded to growl at him from his very low, crouching posture. Seeing the child's hair standing on end and his angry glare fixated on him, put a smirk on Raditz's face, as the man then watched as his power level jumped up on the scouter.

"Rise and shine, nephew," Raditz chuckled, receiving an even louder snarl in response as the boy glared back at him. "My, that was quite a quick response. You're able to react to a predator's presence and bloodlust while still asleep? That's superb as far as defenses go." He then tilted his head at the growling youngster, wondering if he'll be able to do more than just act like an animal. "So… you're Kakarot's- I mean… Goku's boy?" He did that correction for the child's sake- since he'd probably been distracted during the meeting. Raditz really despised that name.

However, the kid proved to be quite sharp as a few seconds of growling later, the child stopped and glared. "Yeah. What's it to you?" he asked, sneering at the end to show how pissed he was.

Raditz smiled while crossing his arms. "I apologize for grabbing you up the way I did. You see, I noticed how high your power level was growing out there and acted out of sheer instinct." The man then tilted his head at the boy when he saw him blink at his words. "To be honest, I wasn't expecting Kakarot's son to be even stronger than him. I was actually quite astonished to see the numbers you were reaching. Nine-hundred and forty five?" A whistle quickly followed that reveal. "A child at your age possessing that kind of power is an incredibly rare thing- even amongst other races. Tell me, how were you able to get so strong?"

Gohan, appearing slightly confused, then shrugged. "I don't know. I just… went outside and played a lot. Mostly in the woods and with my daddy on the fields. That's all."

"Played, huh?" Raditz repeated, testing that word with the context of the conversation for a moment, before getting at a possible answer. "You mean… _fighting_?" When he saw the boy nod, the Saiyan warrior felt his grin widen. "Do you enjoy fighting, nephew?"

The question drew a brisk nod from the boy, who remained on guard despite the conversation going. "Yeah. Fighting is fun. It's all I really want to do."

"Well, you're in for a treat. Because I've got a little present lined up for you," Raditz said, unfolding his arms and popping open the flask he was holding. Shaking out one of the green pellets into his palm, he watched as Gohan perked his head up to see what he was doing. "Consider this a training day with your old uncle Raditz. I'm going to set you up against an opponent to test that remarkable fighting power of yours- someone who is small, nimble, and a little bit more your weight-class."

Gohan blinked when he watched the man kneel down, dig a small hole with his hand, and drop the green ball into it. "Really? Who?" His tail wagged slightly as a small bolt of excitement rushed through him, but was quickly replaced by caution when he saw the man fill in the hole with dirt again.

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough," Raditz replied, opening the other end of the bottle he was holding and adding a small drop of the strange, green liquid over the spot he'd planted the seed. Upon which he then quickly stood up, pocketed the flask, and stepped back.

Both Raditz and Gohan then watched the patch of ground in silence for a couple of seconds, as if waiting for something interesting to happen. They didn't have to wait long at all when, after seeing the ground crack, a green ball suddenly sprang out of the ground. Unfurling itself after hopping out of its hole, the object then landed on the grass- revealing to an alarmed Gohan a creature that he'd never seen before.

The beast that now stood in front of Raditz was a green, bipedal alien monster that stood at roughly the same height as Gohan. With a humanoid-like body consisting of four limbs and three claws on each hand and foot, the alien had a dark, carapace torso and chest, an unnaturally large, rounded head, and pointy ears. It also didn't have a nose, but it did have a big, grinning mouth, and sharp red eyes, with small black pupils that quickly locked onto the child crouching several yards away from it.

When the creature gave a piercing shriek of excitement at being born into this world, the crouching Gohan clenched his teeth and snarled.

Raditz smiled as he held his position behind the little beastie, before then raising his head. "Adorable, isn't it? The person who invented these little devils called them Saibamen- a race of genetically grown, biological soldiers that can be used for a variety of purposes, including frontline fighting and training." The man then cocked his head when the monster in front of him gave a loud cackle. "Today… he's going to be your playmate. Go nuts, kid."

Without needing another word, the green creature hobbled forward a couple of paces before, with a jittering laugh, bolted towards Gohan. The tiny imp moved at such a speed that the youngster wasn't at all prepared for it, ending with the hybrid getting smashed in the face by a vicious kick that not only knocked blood flying from his mouth, but also sent him hurtling across the valley.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

After recovering from the shock of his would-be brother's unscheduled arrival to _Kame House_, Goku and his friends had taken several minutes to catch their breaths, regain their bearings, and come up with some sort of tactical solution to their newest problem. In the most unexpected turn of events that nobody could've ever seen coming, the group now had to deal with an extra-terrestrial and incredibly powerful space pirate, who has come down to Earth to recruit his sibling to his planet-conquering cause. While his arrival had yet to yield any deaths as far as they knew, if they were to let this warrior's presence go unchecked, there was a high chance that he could potentially unleash his wrath upon the local populace.

That is only if he didn't get his way and Goku continued to refuse his demands.

On top of this, aside from having to take care of Raditz's proposition, they also had a hostage situation. The man had kidnapped Goku's son from right under their noses and none of them had been able to do anything. All they could do was watch helplessly as the incredibly powerful and vicious interstellar traveler took the boy by the tail and legged it.

This had left Goku not only distraught, but racking his head over what he should do. There were only so many options he had.

If he refused to kill a hundred people by tomorrow, then he would never see his son again.

If he went to try and talk Raditz down into giving back his son, he would probably react angrily and kill Gohan or a whole bunch of other people.

If he tried to face Raditz on his own, he would most certainly be killed. After all, the man's power level was no joke.

There wasn't really any wiggle room for the now newly established Saiyan father to exploit. No matter what choice he made, death was most certainly going to play a big part in it. The question was though, who was the unlucky soul going to be.

Eventually, after meditating on the issue for what felt like hours, the martial artist and protector of the planet decided on a plan of attack. Staying true to his character and mentality his friends had come to expect from him by this point, Goku reasoned that _attack_ was the best course.

Upon discussing his plans with his friends and with Bulma tracking his son through use of the dragon radar, the father clenched his fists and straightened up. "Alright then! I'm going after him! What do you say guys?"

Launch, already two steps ahead of the others, had not only thrown on a bandoleer of modified shotgun shells, she'd also pulled out her favorite sawn-off Winchester 1887 lever-action shotgun. Upon loading the last shell into the chamber, the woman twirl-cocked the rifle with a loud _**snap**_ and propped it over her shoulder. "I'm with you, Goku! Let's get that bastard!"

"Yeah!" Krillin also shouted, holding his own fists up while grinning across at the others. "You never know! We might just get lucky and beat that idiot!"

Master Roshi, also keen to join in, brought up his cane and held it firmly between his hands. "Well… whatever happens, you two should know that you're the best pupils I've ever had."

Goku, Krillin, Launch and Master Roshi all shared looks with one another. When they saw that the four of them were as ready as they would ever be, they all then gave each other a stiff nod. But just before they could think about mobilizing a jet copter, a voice from above suddenly interrupted their gathering.

"You'll never succeed. You're too weak."

Caught off guard by the new voice, the group turned their attention towards the sky. Their expressions quickly turned to one of dumbstruck and horror when they saw, floating above them and draped in his signature cape and turban, the intimidating, green form of Piccolo glaring down at them. All five of the heroes on the beach, Turtle included, understandably freaked out at the sight of the planet's former most threat, as the second to last thing any of them expected to encounter today had shown up right on their doorstep- literally.

"Oh, great," Krillin groaned in dismay. "What else could go wrong today?" Now he wished that Raditz had knocked him out with his tail.

Dropping down from the air and tapping down on the sand, Piccolo grunted. "I suppose you could make me angry. But I wouldn't advise it."

While Bulma scrambled away to hide behind Turtle and Launch took aim with her shotgun, both Goku and Krillin assumed fighting stances. Formation made, the trio locked fighting glares with the deathly stare on the newest arrival to their island.

"So? What do you want, Piccolo?" Goku asked.

Master Roshi frowned as he hung back, behind his students. "Yes. Why are you here? This is my island."

The green-skinned warrior grunted indignantly. "I've been keeping an eye on your latest visitor. I followed him here. Needless to say, I… wasn't expecting him to be a _relative_ of yours. Not with his power." Piccolo lifted his head a little bit as he and his rival squared off. "I take it the reunion didn't go so well."

Feeling his patience irked somewhat, Goku huffed. "No. It didn't."

"Figures," the demon responded with a grunt. "You five are lucky to be alive."

This remark drew an even harsher glare from earth's hero. "Oh yeah? Is there something that you know that we don't?"

Sensing that there was still hostility in the air, Piccolo quickly went about dispelling it. "I know this much- the only chance that we have of winning is if I go with you."

This statement caught Goku, Krillin, Launch and everybody else off guard, with the blonde gunslinger lowering her shotgun when she saw the warrior throw back his cape and stroll forward.

"I know we're enemies, but hear me out," Piccolo continued, marching up to his rival and then moving past him. "You've seen and sensed how powerful he is, which means you know as well as I do that neither of us has the strength to stand up to him alone. Even if you were to bring these fools along with you, you'd be dead before the fight even started." The man then stopped, glaring down at Bulma to see the woman comically pick up Turtle and hide behind him- frightening the poor reptile. "However, if you and I team up, there's a slight chance that we may be able to overpower him. It's the only way."

While Krillin, Master Roshi and Launch looked between the two warriors cautiously, Goku- keeping his back turned- spoke up. "Why should I trust you? How will I know that you won't turn on me?"

Piccolo grunted. "The truth is, you don't. I won't lie to you, my reasons for doing this are purely selfish. I could care less what happens to you or your son." This was followed by the former demon gritting his teeth and snarling. "But I won't let this guy take over the Earth. I plan to do it myself!" His declaration sent chills down everyone's spines, with Bulma trying her best to blend into the environment as much as she could. "As much as the idea sickens me, I'm willing to put our differences aside and work together with you this one time. This truce will only be temporary. Once all of this is over and this Raditz guy has been taken care of, you and I will be enemies again."

Goku in return felt a smirk cross his face as he looked over his shoulder at his caped rival. "Alright. If that's how it's going to be, then after we beat this guy, you can bet that I will do everything in my power to stop you from taking over the world." He then turned around to face the man properly. "But until then, it looks like we're a team. You've got a deal."

Smiling in approval, Piccolo turned to glare back at his rival. "Consider it done then."

Looks shared, Goku then turned to the sky, cupped a hand over his mouth, and cried out, "NIMBUS!" The moment his voice echoed into the distance, the little yellow cloud that was his companion appeared from behind a distant stratocumulus, arced through the air, and pulled up above the sand. Once it'd stopped, the Saiyan father turned to his friends. "Bulma. I need to borrow the dragon radar."

"Oh. S-Sure," the scientist stuttered as her head poked up from behind Turtle. "No problem, Goku."

After handing the device to her friend and watching him hop up onto the cloud, Goku then took off with Piccolo hot on his tail. In a rush of wind, the two fighters shot off across the ocean and towards the horizon, with the determined parent using the radar to track his son's position and lead them to him. Upon positioning the arrow in the right direction, the pair then changed course, turning right and heading straight for the mainland as fast as they could.

About a minute after seeing the two rivals vanish into the distance, Launch- shaking herself out of her daze, rushed over to the side of the island, pulled out a capsule and threw it down. A white puff of smoke later revealed a yellow jet copter, which the brave woman promptly clambered into. When she looked back and saw the group of Z-warriors staring at her, the woman waved her shotgun in the air.

"Well! Don't just stand there, guys! Let's go help them!" the woman shouted.

While Krillin and Bulma stood flabbergasted, Master Roshi shook his head before grinning broadly. "Yes! Absolutely!"

"Huh?" the blue-haired scientist exclaimed while looking across at the old man as if he'd grown a second head. "W-Why in the world do you want to go? Isn't it going to be really dangerous where they're headed?"

"We have two of the strongest fighters the Earth has to offer teaming up to fight alongside one another!" the hermit stated, his glasses flashing as he looked between his three friends. When he heard Launch fire up her jet copter and its engines roar to life, the seemingly decrepit yet excited old man promptly marched over to the craft and hopped into the forward passenger seat. "This is going to be the showdown of the century! There's no way I'm going to miss this!"

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Raditz winced when he heard another loud _bang_ ring out when the Saibaman he'd set against his nephew landed another devastating blow to the stomach. Seeing the child curl forward over the alien's claw, his eyes bugging out and spit flying from his mouth, was a very unpleasant sight as he was sent flying across the field for the thirtieth time in a row. After a few seconds of flight, his little body slammed against the floor and tumbled over several times, before eventually sliding to a stop on his front.

The Saibaman meanwhile landed back on its feet, grinning excitedly as a hiss left its thin lips. When the dust settled following his brisk attack, it revealed the field surround Raditz had multiple tears and small holes in it, indicating a rather violent battle had taken place here. However, considering how beat up Gohan was and how untouched his opponent was in comparison, it was clear that the battle so far had been completely one-sided.

This fact had the patiently watching Raditz frown in disappointment. His arms crossed, the mid-class Saiyan warrior watched as the four-year-old Gohan trembled and groaned where he lay, his robes in tatters and dragon ball decorated hat lying on the floor out of reach. His opponent meanwhile stood between him and the Saiyan scout, cackling and chirping in a threatening manner as it waited for its prey to get back up.

Needless to say, things weren't looking good for the child hybrid.

"Hmm… this is not what I was expecting," Raditz thought, engaging his scouter and seeing the numbers flicker by as they scanned the child. _"The runt's power level is border lining a thousand now, so he technically should be putting up a better fight than this. So why is he getting beaten up so easily by this walking turnip?" _He just couldn't explain it.

The kid showed incredible aggression, speed and tenacity back on the island. Though he had been caught off guard earlier here, he should've been able to bounce back and lay on a bit more abuse. But for some reason he was taking more hits than he was giving out, which was transforming this little mock battle into something of a massacre.

Raditz actually had half a mind to step in and stop the Saibaman before it could kill the little hybrid. Not something he'd expected to do, but it's something that he was now thinking of doing.

As he watched the kid struggle to push himself up and heard what he assumed was a series of pain sobs and whimpers start to come from the wounded youngster, Raditz suddenly felt something strange appear in the air.

At first he saw it. The number on his scouter, which at first was resting comfortably at 986, slowly started to climb. The slow, methodical beep-beep-beep as the digits began to increase soon began to speed up, catching the man's attention, before his gaze snapped back towards his nephew. From there, despite being unable to sense presences all that well, a cold chill suddenly ran down his bare skin when he saw traces of steam beginning to rise off of the child's body, which caused the air around him to shimmer and the rocks on the floor to quiver.

When the hybrid got onto his hands and knees, the rocks and debris scattered across the grass slowly started to levitate into the air, and the hair on top of his head also started to rise.

In that moment, several beads of nervous sweat trickled down Raditz's face as his jaw dropped. "Okay… his battle power has increased now. I expect the kid should-… huh? W-Wait… why is it still climbing?" When he saw the number suddenly blow past a thousand and continue increasing, the alarmed Saiyan felt the atmosphere around him change drastically as the ground beneath him suddenly trembled. Even the Saibaman standing in front of him noticed the shift in the environment, which prompted the little alien to take a somewhat cautious step back as a fierce wind started to kick off of the Saiyan child.

As the beeping in Raditz's scouter transformed into a high-pitched screech, the man's eyes widened in horror when he saw the numbers blows past the Saibaman's battle power of 1,200 and keep on going. "Whoa-whoa-whoa! Hold on! I-It's not stopping!" Uncrossing his arms, the man felt the ground shake a little more as the wind and steam billowing off of the child several yards in front of him intensified. _"One-thousand, four hundred and growing! That's… not possible!"_

The kid had been getting beaten into the ground. He'd been bruised and cut all over, and after that last hit he took he could barely stand. So where the heck was all of this energy suddenly coming from?

Just then, through the window and the beeping of his unit, Raditz and the Saibaman heard the sobs and whimpers from the child. However, when the pair focused on the child and the sounds coming off of him, they realized that in fact it wasn't the sounds of crying, but the sounds of giggling and laughing.

As the rocks and twigs tumbling past him broke and shattered under the heat he was giving off, the boy's eyes peered up from beneath his fringe. What Raditz saw looking back at him nearly had him yelp in fright, as instead of a tear-filled or angry look, the man saw a very wild, feral and manic expression slapped across the boy's youthful face. His eyes narrowed and pupils dilated, the child was also showcasing a very big, scary-looking grin- which showed off his sharpened teeth and canines.

The fact that he also had blood trickling down from his hairline and nose, and an ominous shadow cast over his gaze, made his expression appear all the more terrifying.

"More…" the child whispered.

Raditz blinked, barely able to hear the boy's statement due to the ringing of his scouter, the number of which was still increasing. "W-What?"

"More. Play more. Fight me more. I want to have… _more fun_!" Gohan hissed, the steam rising from him suddenly transforming into a white aura, which shimmered and pulsed around him at an alarming rate. "Is that all you've got!"

Raditz, panicking when he saw the kid's number right on top of his, pointed at the Saibaman grunt he had summoned and barked at him. "Don't just stand there, you idiot! Attack that brat!"

Screeching in alarm, the little green imp of a soldier slammed a foot forward, threw its head over, and opened its cranium. With a loud yell, it then unleashed a flash of green light, which shot across the grass in a beam towards the child, who was practically burning with excitement. The _Saibabeam_ scorched the air on approach, but just as it was about to hit its target, Gohan suddenly dropped down to all fours and gave and yell.

A shockwave tore from his body and slammed into the oncoming beam, stopping it dead and causing it to rebound, sending particles of it scattering across the battlefield. When the kiai he'd launched hit both Saibaman and Raditz, both of them had to brace themselves against the hot wind, which nearly bowled both of them over.

With its balance disrupted, the synthetic soldier was unable to react in time when Gohan, fingers burying into the ground, suddenly shot forward at such speed the sonic boom he gave off ruptured the ground behind him. Flying forward, the boy drew back his fist and slammed it into the alarmed Saibaman's torso. What followed was a sickening _squelch_ and a shower of blood as the child literally smashed right through the creature, splitting it in half and sending both body parts dropping to the ground in a rain of entrails.

But Gohan didn't stop there.

Flying forward in a barely visible blur, the half-breed Saiyan went right for Raditz, stunning the man when he suddenly saw the kid's form rocketing towards him.

"Shit!" the man shouted, crossing both arms over his face and locking his stance. A split second later, he felt his nephew collide with him skull first, causing a loud thunderclap to ring out and a crack to form in the ground beneath them. The force from Gohan's impact easily knocked the adult Saiyan off his feet and sent him flying backwards several yards.

Eyes wide, the stunned Raditz clenched his teeth against the vibrations of pain that shot through his limbs, a couple seconds before the warrior managed to slam his feet into the floor and skid to a stop. Unfolding his arms, the Saiyan revealed a pair of large, red bruises had formed in his forearms from catching the kid right in the center of them. "Fuck! Even though I blocked it-!"

Unfortunately Raditz didn't have time to stand around and gape. With his arms steadily going numb from stopping the equivalent of a meteor, the Saiyan's eyes snapped up to see Gohan tap down on the ground a distance away and spring off of it, charging straight at him again with a look of sheer intensity on his wild, grinning face. Panicking, the Saiyan scout jabbed out at the kid, only for his fist to pass through an after image when the child darted out of the way. Barely able to keep track of him, the man swung out to his right with a kick, only to watch his swift, little target leap over it and counter with a jumping kick of his own.

Blocking it with his bruised forearm, the freaked out Raditz desperately returned fire- beginning to lash out at the boy with a flurry of punches and kicks that came in from all directions. In response, the now fully energized Gohan flickered between the attacks, parrying and evading them while also lashing out with his own attacks. The sounds of loud thuds and gunshots echoed across the valley as the two oddly matched martial artists duked it out, unleashing attacks capable of rupturing entire plateaus with only a couple of hits.

As shockwaves and blasts of wind tore out from between the two, Raditz was steadily put onto the back foot- edging away one step at a time as he desperately tried to stop Gohan's progressively quickening attacks. Catching a couple in the faces and chest, which caused the larger fighter to lurch, the man snarled and retaliated with a swift chop for the wild boy's neck.

The _crack_ of impact was followed instantly by a second one, as Gohan- despite getting smashed across the face by his uncle's chop- countered with a sharp kick to the man's neck. The resulting blast of force from their attacks colliding simultaneously sent both the child and the adult flying away from one another. Recovering quickly, the pair slammed their feet into the ground and skidded to a stop, leaving two identical trenches in the grass that led away from a small divot formed from the impact of their blows.

With Raditz assuming his brawler-like stance and Gohan taking on a hybrid form of his father's _Hung Ga_ fist, only he had one claw raised while the other was pressed into the ground, the two Saiyans reached up and wiped away the blood that trickled down from their lips.

Gohan, snickering from the exchange, gave the older warrior a cheeky grin. "This is fun."

"Damn, kid," Raditz panted, at the same time glaring across at the child as his scouter went nuts at his gradually increasing power. "You sure do pack a wallop. I'll give you that." He then lowered his hand from his swollen jaw to smirk at the youngster. "Tell me, did you let my Saibaman beat on you on purpose so that you could get yourself fired up?"

Gohan, crouching on the floor, smiled antagonistically back at the older Saiyan. "That weird alien was different from the tigers and dinosaurs I'm used to playing with back in the woods. I wanted to see what he could do, so I let him attack me." The youngster then chuckled. "His punches were average. But yours are a bit better, oji-san."

"Hmph. Thanks… I guess," the man grunted, clenching his teeth when he saw the kid's numbers rising above his and the steam from his body beginning to billow a lot stronger. "Unfortunately, I don't have the time or energy to play around with you anymore. If your father is planning on coming to get you, I have to save as much strength as I can for a fight with him. So I'm going to make this quick." Clenching his fists and focusing his energy, Raditz's body bulked up slightly as he began concentrating ki into his left arm.

Noticing this change immediately, the now more alert demi-Saiyan focused his glare on the attack that the adult was now preparing. The result was his left fist becoming incased in a ball of electricity, which sparkled and crackled loudly as he continued focusing power into it. When his fist could no longer contain the force it was gathering, the man then opened it and held it out, producing a massive, shining pink and white ball of energy, which quickly grew to the size of a yoga ball.

However, judging from the loud buzzing sound it was making and how heavy it looked, Gohan guessed that it was definitely a million times deadlier than some inflatable sphere.

Raditz confirmed his fears with a furious shout. "Let's see how much of a Saiyan you really are, nephew! I've put enough power into this attack to wipe an entire country off the face of the map! Take it, if you can!" Taking aim, the man cranked back his arm before then lobbing his hand forward in an awkward, sideways throw. The energy ball followed a wide, low-angle arc, before being launched from the Saiyan's palm with a loud boom. _**"SATURDAY CRAAAAAAASH!"**_

The roar of the approaching attack echoed across the entire valley, with the crouching Gohan's eyes widening in alarm when he saw the brightly shining ball of pink light growing larger and larger as it approached him at a speed that was several times faster than sound. "Huh?" Realizing right away that if he tried to dodge it that it would detonate and take out half of the landscape along with him, the child snapped his teeth shut and promptly stood up.

Inhaling a deeply and focusing the energy he could feel coursing through him, the child then swung his arms about before slamming his palms together in front of him, a split second before the massive ball of electrical light slammed into him. A loud thunderclap rang out, followed shortly by a deafening roar of wind as the energy ball- its shape warping from the momentum it'd gained- started to push Gohan back along the ground at an alarming rate. As the attack ground into the child's open palms and burned into his skin, sending a searing pain shooting through his body, bolts of pink lightning shot off of it and struck the surrounding valley.

Raditz, having pelted the attack as hard as he could, found himself gaping in awe as his nephew fought back against the mass of energy. While completely astounded that the four-year-old was able to catch the damn thing in the first place, the sight of the sphere of lightning beginning to pulse and vibrate quickly told the Saiyan that his attack was quickly reaching critical levels.

If he stayed where he was and it went off, then both he and the child would be taken out in the resulting, thermonuclear explosion.

However, as the pain bit and burned at his flesh, Gohan, his expression twisted into one of absolute fury and concentration- dug his feet into the ground and hardened his stance. Managing to stop himself from sliding back after digging a massive trench further across the open field, the child was now determined to get rid of this thing.

"Th-This… thing… is… so… annoying!" So, taking a deep breath and focusing his strength, the brave child gave a howl of anger, swung his leg up, and kicked the ball straight up into the sky. "HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" The whoosh of the pink ball reverberated across the mountains as the attack punched through the clouds above and parted them sharply. A couple seconds later, a flash of blinding light filled the lower thermosphere, as an explosion about the size of the country incinerated anything that was floating in the area, which was most like space debris.

Raditz had his gaze turned skyward, which was twisted into one of utter shock and disbelief as he saw his blast go off above the planet. "W-What…?" Before he had time to contemplate the gravity of what he'd just witnessed, he suddenly felt a small pair of hands grab the front of his head. Feeling them tangle in his hair, the adult was unable to react when a loud _**CRUNCH**_ followed by a sharp pain filled his face as he nailed square between the eyes by Gohan dashing forward and colliding into him with a jumping knee strike.

The attack not only smashed Raditz's body backwards, but also caved in his nose and sent blood flying into the air. As he flew back in a daze, Gohan dropped back to the floor with fistfuls of his uncle's hair, as his knee had caused him to rip entire chunks out of his cranium.

Flying back a few dozen meters from the force of the blow, the wounded Raditz gave a shout of horror when he regained consciousness midflight. Hitting the ground a total of three times as he bounced, the man then back-flipped onto his feet and slammed his limbs into the ground, sliding to a stop amidst a cloud of dust.

Clutching his face and giving a scream of pain, Raditz then removed his hand to see it covered in blood, which was right now dribbling from a broken nose and cut mouth. Gasping in pain at being wounded so badly for the first time in his life, the man's cracked scouter screen suddenly blinked as a new set of numbers appeared. When they finished calculating, the adult Saiyan's head snapped up in terror when he saw the new scan.

"What?! Power level over 3,000!" Raditz shouted, sweat trickling down his face as he saw his four-year-old nephew toss the hair out of his hands and take another stance, his hands forming into claws as he focused a sinister grin on the adult warrior. "Th-There's just no way! His battle power just doubled!" And worse yet, it was still going up!

Practically panting with excitement, the infant child glared his uncle down as he gawked at him from his bent-over position. "Is something wrong, oji-san?" he asked cheekily.

Raditz, unable to believe what he was watching as the child's numbers continued to climb without any sign of slowing down, clenched his teeth together before spitting out a tooth. He then sneered in rage. "ENOUGH OF THIS! I'm a mid-class Saiyan warrior of the Frieza Force! A soldier destined to climb the ladder to the levels of the elite! I refuse to have my power and skills outdone by a mere, half-breed child from some backwater world!" Veins pulsing along his forehead and arms as his energy swelled, the infuriated uncle then allowed his own white aura to seep out in a mist form. Though unable to conjure one as strong as his comrades, the man gave it his all until his body was practically simmering with raw power. "LET'S FINISH THIS, NEPHEW!" He then vanished with a whip-crack of wind.

Gohan, seeing the adult vanish into thin air, grinned back as his own white aura erupted from him, at a rate and size much greater than his fellow Saiyan's. "Oooh! I love this game! I'M IT!" The child then vanished into thin air as well, leaving a puff of dust behind him as he gave chase to his uncle.

A split second later, the entire valley for two-hundred meters in every direction was rocked by countless shockwaves and sonic booms going off at seemingly the same time, as the two blurs of Raditz and Gohan began a game of cat-and-mouse-kickboxing across the entire area. Dust kicked up into the air and tiny cracks were formed in the rock as the pair darted across the sky in every possible direction, both in pursuit of one another. With every blow landed, the pair would separate and chase each other again, crisscrossing the sky in a blur before meeting again and exchanging another blow, and another, and another.

This process repeated at speeds that weren't humanly possible. The blurs of their forms made it appear that they were appearing in several places at once, both often sharing the same place, exchanging hits and parries respectively. The force from their attacks impacting their target also rattled the air, making it seem as though pockets of oxygen were exploding and bursting from the force that they hit each other with.

Eventually, after a couple of minutes of ferocious fighting, the pair's game of tag soon came to a quick and painful end when a grinning Gohan- seemingly teleporting back to ground- delivered a three-quarter uppercut with the full weight of his body behind it. His feet didn't even have to leave the floor when his tiny fist slammed into something invisible over him. That thing revealed itself a second later in the form of his uncle Raditz, who had attempted to throw a chopping right at the boy, only to miss and receive a piercing body blow to the stomach as a counter.

The attack colliding with his armor caused a loud clap of a cannon to ring out, which split the ground and fractured the Saiyan's armor both in front and behind from the force of the blow. When the dust settled following the impact of the attack, an initially stunned and frozen Raditz felt his eyes bug out before the man spat up saliva and blood. When the damage from the attack had finally registered, it felt as though the man's guts were about to come shitting out of his throat.

Gohan then promptly retracted his fist, watching as his uncle stumbled away, clutching his now effectively broken stomach armor as his entire body shook from the damage. Trying to gasp for air, after several paces, Raditz dropped to his knees and spat out more blood, looking up a few moments later to reveal his face was twisted in a combination of rage and fear.

"Th-This can't… be…" the man gasped, unable to believe that he was being outdone by this child.

Remaining standing in place for a second, Gohan smirked broadly. "Tag. Now you're it." He then put on a more intimidating look as he then proceeded to walk across the ground, his hair waving upwards as steam continued to rise off of his body- sizzling as the air around him wafted.

The trembling that'd overcome Raditz's body made it seem as though the man was suffering some sort of panic attack. In a way, he was. His body was taking so much damage from this little skirmish with his nephew, who only seemed to be getting stronger and more ferocious as the seconds passed. This made the Saiyan warrior believe that his power was derived completely from his mood- in which the more angry or excited he got, the more his strength multiplied.

Gasping deeply, Raditz then shakily stood up, only to lose sight of Gohan when the kid vanished into thin air several feet away from him. Before he could even so much as shout, the man felt the wind leave his lungs again when the kid reappeared in front of him and delivered a straight kick into his exposed torso. The force of his blow sent the Saiyan warrior tumbling across the valley, where he then ended up on his back in a daze.

Peering up shakily from the ground, the bruised and bleeding Raditz was at his wits end, desperately trying to think up a strategy to try and stop this kid, who only seemed to be getting stronger and stronger with each engagement. As he watched his nephew land, he saw him smirk in his direction and take a step forward, only for his leg to suddenly buckle and fall to his knee. The sight surprised the adult Saiyan and also the youngster.

Using this opportunity to catch his breath and get an update, Raditz clicked the button on his scouter and scanned him. When the reading came back, the man blinked. "T-Two thousand and four? Why is his power level suddenly dropping?" Contemplating this nugget for several moments, the Saiyan was then struck with a sudden realization, which had him smirk. "Oh. I see. His strength increases with his mood and emotions. But because he hasn't conditioned his body to maintain that kind of power for long periods, he isn't used to the strain exerted on him." This meant that his insane power ups could only be used in small increments of only a few minutes, with what Raditz suspected required equal pauses of rest in between.

While this realization gave the wounded soldier a breath of fresh air, the kid still had a power advantage over him- but had suddenly stopped due to his power up having a rebound on his body. Hopefully his ordeal was now over.

Gohan, having felt his strength sharply drop, frown at the leg that'd buckled and began slapping it. The feeling of pins and needles in his muscles weirded the kid out, which prompted the wild youngster to begin patting parts of his body and running damage control. An observing Raditz found this behavior strange at first, yet quickly figured that the youngster was just caught off guard by his sudden loss in mobility due to a sharp decrease in energy.

The uncle chuckled out loud. "First time getting a muscle cramp, runt?"

Glancing up at the fallen Saiyan oddly, the child blinked a couple of times before grinning. "Yeah. It's a weird feeling. I must have been running around a little too much and aggravated some injuries," he answered cheerfully, deducing the problem from his own experiences and studying of the human body.

"_Those may have been given to him from his fight with the Saibaman,"_ Raditz thought, remembering the beating the kid had subjected himself to at the hands of the synthetic creature. Even though he did it out of curiosity at the soldier's strength, he still received quite a bit of damage fending it off. The uncle then smirked again. "I guess you'll want to call it a draw then, huh? Lie down and rest for a bit? You must be exhausted."

"Nah. I'm good," Gohan answered, causing his opponent to recoil momentarily in confusion before the kid suddenly put on a wild grin again. "I know how to fix this. All I have to do is scream really loud and make myself better again."

"Uhh… what?" Raditz asked.

As the man was left completely dumbfounded, he suddenly saw the child get onto all fours, bury his fingers into the ground, before taking a deep breath. Back rising and face twisting into an intense expression of anger and concentration, the child suddenly started gathering an enormous amount of power. The white mist wafting off of him even more than before, the child's growls were soon matched by the ground around him beginning to shake and the air starting to vibrate.

Before Raditz could question what the heck was going on, the mist billowing from the child exploded into a white aura, which surrounded the child and ripped up the ground around him. As he shredded the floor, Gohan then looked up as his pupils dilated and turned hollow, before he swung his head up and gave a might howl. This was immediately followed by his aura intensifying and a shockwave tearing across the landscape, which caused the ground around him to fracture and bits of rubble to start floating into the air.

The display of power the child was now emanating stunned the prone Raditz, who had to shield himself with his arm when a blast of dust and rock began pelting him in the face.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Many miles away, as Goku and Piccolo were streaking across the sky side-by-side and following the signal registering on the dragon radar, the pair were suddenly hit by the feeling of a massive power. Both of their eyes widening simultaneously, the two warriors then stopped in their tracks- with the Saiyan father's Nimbus skidding to a stop while his rival halted in the air beside him with a flap of his cape. The moment their momentums ceased, their senses were able to get a good lock on the presence they were feeling.

"That power? Do you feel that?" Goku asked, beads of sweat running down his face as his wide eyes stared across the horizon towards the distant mountains.

Piccolo, appearing as equally astonished as his partner, nodded affirmatively. "Yeah. I do."

Taking a moment to size up the energy signature pulsing in the distance, the hero of earth recoiled in alarm. "That… That's Gohan?"

"Your son?" the demon king's son asked, glancing across at the martial artist in shock, before snapping his gaze back towards the source of the energy surge. Stretching his senses out a little further to get a more accurate read on the signal, the Namekian almost choked on his next words. "Th-There's no way that can be your kid. That energy level is way too high! Higher than your brother's! Are you sure you're not hallucinating?"

"No. I'm positive that's my son. I'd recognize it anywhere," Goku exclaimed, his tone reflecting his immediate concern as he then set himself forward on his cloud and steeled his face. "Something must be wrong. I think he might be in trouble!"

"Then we'd better hurry," Piccolo responded, giving himself a burst of ki to his feet and launching himself forward. As he began to fly ahead at an increased speed, his rival fell right on his tail, before eventually siding up next to him on his friend Nimbus.

The puttering sound of the yellow cloud transformed into a high-pitched squeal as the collection of magical gases went up another gear, tearing across the sky with Goku on top and Piccolo right alongside. Though neither one of them had any idea what was happening further up the continent, they both knew from the energy radiating from that location meant that it wasn't anything good.

OOO

(Back at the Landing Site)

When the shaking finished seconds later and the raging winds finally settled, the stunned Raditz was able to open his eyes and lower his arm. Looking back through the clouds of dust fading around the now even more ruined ground, he then saw tiny Gohan's form emerge from the haze.

Now upright and still dressed in his ruined robe and pants- sans hat- the child was currently checking out his arms and legs. Testing his hands as well for good measure, the grungy, battle-damaged youngster then looked back across at Raditz and smirked.

"There. I'm all better now," Gohan chirped.

Clearly confused by this statement, Raditz then steadily reached up and activated his scouter again. The moment the numbers blinked across the cracked green screen and finished crunching moments later, the sight practically had the Saiyan's blood run cold.

"I-Impossible. His battle power… it's… it's over 6,000 now?! H-HOW?!" Raditz stammered, unable to believe what he was seeing. Was his scouter broken? Did its processer take a hit? Why were the numbers so damn high?

And they were still getting higher!

Gohan, seeing his opponent appeared alarmed and confused, decided to try and help him understand by explaining what he'd just done. Or what he thought he did. "Whenever I got hurt or tired running around the forests playing with the animals, I would usually just shout and make my body go all fuzzy. After screaming for a few seconds and stopping, I would feel much better and stronger than before." He then shrugged. "I think it has something to do with the fact that I'm still growing."

Still gaping, Raditz shook his head. _"No… that's not it. That's only half the reason."_ Though it seemed impossible, this kid was able to figure out how to effectively exploit the Saiyan's natural ability to receive a power increase after sustaining damage to their bodies. It was something that their race called a _Zenkai_. After recovering from serious or fatal injuries, a Saiyan could become a great deal stronger and more capable than before, seemingly without any negative repercussions. The more severe the damages they received, the more significant the improvements would be upon healing. While Gohan obviously didn't know about any of this, he must've found out by himself what his body could do through his own self-explorations, experiments, and playing- he just didn't know what it was called.

All the kid knew was that after getting hurt and then getting better, he got stronger. That's all.

But that wasn't the only thing Raditz noticed. Aside from the potency of his nephew's Zenkai, his remarkable hidden strength, and the energy derived from his youth, somehow after becoming heavily fatigued or damaged from his own power, the kid could willfully draw on the naturally recurring proteins in his Saiyan cells for a massive adrenaline boost. In other words: _jumpstart his body with a manually controlled Zenkai_. Apparently he must've figured this out while training around his home, where by concentrating the right way, he could just give himself a Zenkai and adapt to the damage his body had sustained while simultaneously recovering stamina at will. This gave him not only an accelerated recovery rate, but also an enhanced adaptability attribute rarely seen in most Saiyans.

All of this information further cemented the fact in Raditz's head that this child- though a hybrid and one barely even out of daycare- was an extremely gifted boy and a prodigy unlike any he'd ever laid eyes on before. Because his body was still developing and evolving, the child was only just beginning to tap into the strength he was capable of. If he was to be faced with even greater challenges and obstacles in the future, there was no telling how much more powerful he could become!

Coupled with his playful personality, remarkable intelligence, intrinsic potential, and inherent lust for fighting, and the Saiyan had himself a genuine freak of nature on his hands.

Smirking after seeing the pale look fall over Raditz's stunned face, Gohan put on a more menacing smirk- though a playful one- and slowly started to walk towards the fallen adult once more. "Come on, oji-san. Let's play some more. You hit a lot harder than daddy does when we spar and you've got a bunch of really cool moves." The boy then tilted his head as he approached, his body radiating with enormous amounts of raw energy and intent. "I know you've still got energy to spare. Show me some more stuff."

In that moment, Raditz felt like he was going to have a heart attack. _"Th-This kid is a monster! A freak! Battle power six-fucking-thousand, three hundred and rising?! I… I can't beat him! Not like this! Unless…"_ Remembering the assets he had at his disposal, the wounded man rolled onto his side and whipped out the same flask as before. Making sure to keep it hidden from the child and appearing as though he was struggling to stand up, the wily Saiyan discreetly planted three into the floor and covered them up, before adding the liquid. Upon which he then started crawling away, looking up to see Gohan closing in on him like a villain from a horror movie.

When the child stopped, he then tilted his head curiously at the terrified look on his uncle's face. "Huh? Are you okay, jiji? Did you break something?"

Shivering in place, the long-haired Raditz then cracked a smile as he proceeded to by himself some time. He only needed to keep him distracted for a few seconds. "You're… far stronger… than I initially gave you credit for, runt. You managed to lay the smack down on me pretty damn hard. I'm impressed. There hasn't been a single opponent who has been able to damage me like this in a long time." Seeing Gohan blink at him in confusion then had the Saiyan scout flash him a rather cocky grin. "But I'm afraid you still have much to learn about fighting."

Just as Gohan was opening his mouth to make a comment, the ground around him suddenly cracked and split. The moment his gaze snapped downwards, three Saibamen unexpectedly burst out of the ground and leapt at him, wrapping their arms around his arms, legs and body, and practically dog-piling on him all at once. The child was so focused on engaging his main opponent that he didn't even think about sensing for other lifeforms nearby, which meant he completely missed the presence of these six biological soldiers being produced directly beneath him.

Seizing that moment, Raditz scrambled to his feet, jumped away, and barked at his three little minions as they proceeded to hold Gohan down- albeit with great difficulty. "DO IT! BOMB HIM!"

With the three Saibamen cackling hysterically, their bodies suddenly lit up before, in a flash of blinding light, the trio detonated all at once. The explosion they let off was equivalent to several full-powered, highly compressed energy balls detonating simultaneously, yet managed to create blast so potent it burned a crater into the earth. The resounding shockwave also knocked the jumping Raditz back, sending him tumbling painfully to the ground as the smoke and flames billowed out in all directions.

Gasping as he curled up for cover, the heavily damaged Saiyan soldier waited a couple of moments before eventually looking up. When his eyes snapped towards the cloud of smoke rising into the air, he then slowly watched as it cleared, revealing a gaping fissure buried in the ground. Standing up, he then cautiously approached the crevice.

Arriving at the edge and peering inside, not only did Raditz see the body parts of his three Saibamen scattered around the bottom, he also saw his nephew lying unconscious on the floor- his robe and singlet gone, and his pants in tatters. Though he appeared to be dead, the man saw that the child was still breathing, having only been knocked out by the explosion. Though his hair was slightly singed, the only damages he had on him were a handful of bruises and welts.

Thanks to his heightened power level, the child had been able to tank the blasts of the three Saibamen self-destructing without any loss of limb. Though it'd been enough to rattle him, it certainly wasn't enough to kill him.

Sighing in relief when his scouter pulled up a new number of the child, showing his vitals were stable and his power level was resting at a reassuring 10 while asleep, Raditz stepped into the crater and, with a pained wince from his bones and muscles aching, picked up Gohan by the scruff of his belt. He then held him up at arm's length and looked at the kid exhaustedly, a hint of intrigue and wonder reflected on his battered face.

"_He was able to take three Saibamen suicide bombing him at once and managed to survive it. That's insane,"_ Raditz thought, smirking rather proudly at what one of his own blood had been capable of. Though it'd been brief, those five to ten minutes were perhaps the most terrifying the Saiyan had remembered ever experiencing. _"I'm sure you'll make a fine, fearless warrior in the future. Perhaps someone strong enough to take on Frieza one day."_

Not willing to lose such a valuable commodity, Raditz slowly limped out of the hole and across the valley towards his spaceship. The craft he'd used to get here was a small and insignificant thing- a ball-shaped vessel with one seat and a single viewing window. Though tiny, the Attack Ball was possibly one of the most easily mass-produced vessels in the Frieza Force, as well as the most versatile.

Figuring it would make an adequate, temporary cell for his nephew, the adult Saiyan deposited the kid on the seat and closed the hatch. Stepping out of the crater while holding his broken ribs through the gaping hole at the front of his armor, the bruised and bleeding Raditz then considered leaving the child there.

However, when he quickly thought back to the fight he'd had with him, the man immediately had second thoughts.

"_If he was to suddenly regain consciousness, with his current power level he could easily smash his way out of there,"_ Raditz thought, turning around and looking down at the crater. Taking a moment to consider his options, the Saiyan then reached into his belt, pulled out a tiny control and promptly dialed in a number with his thumb.

Taking remote control of the vessel, the Saiyan fired up its engines, hearing the ship give a loud roar before slowly starting to levitate out of the crater. Watching it rise above the ground, the pod's window then pointed towards the sky before, with a blast of wind and a scream from its internal components, the Attack Ball shot up into the clouds and up into space.

As he watched the craft ascend, a couple new numbers on Raditz's scouter suddenly appeared, alerting the man and prompting him to wheel around. When he looked up into the sky, his eyes widened when he saw the distinct form of his brother and a second individual flying towards him at speed.

"What?! Kakarot? Why is he here?" Raditz asked himself, only to realize a second later that he was here to get his son back. This thought caused the wounded Saiyan to grit his teeth angrily. _"Shit! I'm in no condition for another fight! I need time to recover!"_

Unfortunately for the Saiyan soldier, it didn't look as though he was going to be getting any kind of break soon. When the two warriors dove down from their altitude, they then touched down on the grass several yards away from the startled invader. As soon as they were on the ground, both of them immediately took notice of the damaged area, the condition of their target, and the vapor trail being left behind by the spaceship, which had just taken off seconds before their arrival.

Fixing his glare on his would-be brother, Goku showed his teeth and spoke. "What have you done with my son?!" he asked, his tone echoing with both impatience and worry.

Raditz, choosing to stick to the high ground and play along, smirked in amusement when he set his eyes on his unexpected company. "Well, well, well… look who's decided to drop in. It's little brother." His eyes then turned to the caped figure standing to his right. "Oh, and he's brought the green man with him. I was wondering who that second, insignificant blip on my scouter could be. What a pleasant surprise." The man's chuckle at the end was a mixture of amusement and pain, though he did his best to retain his composure all the same.

Using the chance presented to him, Piccolo took stock of their opponent's condition. From the multitude of bruises covering his arms and legs, the massive hole in the front of his chest armor, the missing shoulder accent on the left side, cracked scouter screen, and blood dribbling from his mouth and nose, it quickly became clear to the warrior that their foe was in pretty bad shape. Whatever had managed to do that to him had clearly been an adversary a little too strong for him to handle on his own, which probably explained why he was hunched over the way he was and looking so exhausted.

Needless to say, the man's condition was rather comforting, but still raised a few questions as to how the heck this incredibly powerful warrior from space had come to be like that. The current state of the surrounding landscape also made Piccolo and Goku wonder exactly what had transpired while they were on their way here.

Raditz, seeing the pair were a bit distracted by the damages done to the field, quickly spoke up to draw their attention back to him. He needed to keep them distracted long enough for him to catch his breath, especially since he was working through a couple of broken ribs and torn organs. "I have to hand it to you brother, I didn't think I'd see you till tomorrow. You're a little more resourceful than I thought." Another chuckle leaving the man's swollen lips was followed by a cough. "Not to mention more foolish."

Quickly growing impatient, Goku then shouted back at the visitor from outer space. "We'll see about that!"

"Hmph. Fair enough," the Saiyan chuckled before grinning through bloodied teeth. "So… I'm guessing from your earlier question that you're here for your son?"

"That's right!" his sibling responded immediately while clenching his fists. "Now where is he?! Tell me!"

"I was afraid you'd say that," Raditz replied, before then bringing up his right hand and pointing a thumb up towards the clouds. Seeing the pair still had his eyes squarely on him, the scout elaborated. "Don't worry. Your son is still alive. He was just a little tuckered out after our little game of tag across the field, so I put him in my pod for a short nap. The boy is currently hovering in orbit safely above the planet where he won't be disturbed."

Eyes widening at that news, the father stomped forward and raised a fist. "What?! Bring him back! Now!"

"Oh, I will. No need to fret. As long as you bring me the hundred human heads that I asked for, then everyone will be able to go home safe and sound," Raditz replied, a rather malicious smirk crossing his lips as he looked across at his infuriated younger brother. "Are you planning on following-through with my demand?"

Clearly not in the mood for any more games, Goku barked back loudly. "NOT A CHANCE! All I'm here to do is to get my son back! Nothing else!"

"Hmm… that's a shame," Raditz chuckled, at the same time lifting his head to look down at the two warriors facing off against him. "You are testing my patience, Kakarot. I've been more than generous with you so far. Now for the last time, I strongly recommend that you join us!"

While Piccolo continued to glare daggers at the Saiyan newcomer, Goku continued to fight back. "I don't care what you recommend! The answer is still no!"

Raditz smirked angrily. "You should listen to your big brother."

Deciding to drive the final nail into the coffin, the spiky haired warrior in orange and blue sneered back. "As far as I'm concerned, I don't have a brother."

Feeling a touch of anger and sadness grip him, Raditz clenched his hands tightly and discreetly. To hear these words come from one of his own- his own flesh and blood no less- not only infuriated him, but hurt him at the same time. Exhaling in resignation, the long haired male frowned back at his sibling as he continued to glare defiantly at him.

"Alright," Raditz said in a low voice. "Have it your way then, Kakarot." The warrior then reached behind him and grabbed the same flask he'd used before, a gesture which alerted both Goku and Piccolo, and put them on guard. When they saw his arm return to his side, they saw that the warrior was holding something, but they couldn't tell what. "I didn't come to this planet to kill you, but it seems that you've left me no choice." The man then smirked. "It's too bad little brother. I'm sure you would've found the life of a Saiyan quite invigorating. Your son certainly will."

Goku growled, "You leave Gohan out of this! I won't let you or anyone else take him!"

Reaching the end of his patience, Piccolo promptly removed his cape and tossed it aside. "Alright. Enough talk. You know why we're here, so let's get on with this." When his shoulder piece slammed into the ground several feet away, the warrior then took off his turban and chucked it as well, before then proceeding to stretch his neck and arms.

The sight had Goku glance across at his rival curiously. "Huh? Piccolo? I had no idea you train with weighted clothing too."

A scoff from the warrior was the father's immediate response. "What? You thought you were the only one?" Upon rolling his shoulders, Piccolo smirked. "Oh yeah. I feel much lighter now."

A series of beeps from his scouter alerted Raditz to a sudden change, which caused his eyes to narrow on the green warrior worriedly. _"His power level has gone up past 400."_

Goku, deciding to follow suit, quickly removed his shirts, boots and wrist guards. Throwing his orange top back on and slipping it back into his belt, the warrior stood up and took a stance- clenching his fists at his sides and smirking across at their opponent. The pair heard the sounds of his scanner beeping again, which was then followed by his expression becoming slightly more nervous.

"Looking at the state you're in, I'd say we've got a pretty decent chance of winning now," Goku remarked, his smile widening when he saw the frown on Raditz's face deepen. "Don't think that because you're stronger than us that you'll have an easy fight. Once Piccolo and I have beaten you, we'll force you to bring my son back. You can count on it."

This comment drew a laugh from the soldier, a sound that had the two champions of earth step back nervously when they then saw the Saiyan grin widely in their direction. "And don't go thinking that just because I'm a little out of breath that bringing me down is going to be an easy task. Unlike you, I've still got a trick up my sleeve." Popping the cap of his flask for the last time, the man then crouched down, stuck a seed into the ground, and then added a drop over it. He then chuckled the glass bottle and stepped away, watching as the ground began to quiver. "And who said that I was going to fight you?"

The moment he said that, the ground at his feet split open…

OOO

(Several minutes later)

Up in the vacuum of space directly over the planet, the Attack Ball that Raditz had sent up into the thermosphere could be seen quietly floating. Its engines set on neutral, the craft had placed itself into geosynchronous orbit of the planet, moving at the same rate as the Earth's rotation and ensuring that it stayed over the exact same location that its pilot was.

In order to make access to his pod as quick and efficient as possible, the Saiyan had placed it well within remote-control reach in case of emergencies. Though he was capable of piloting it from any distance and direction, seeing as how he was currently preoccupied with taking on the two new arrivals to his valley, he made sure to leave the craft at a far-enough distance that while it was safely out of harm's way, he could also bring it back down in a heartbeat.

This was mostly in the off-chance that his little brother and his friend managed to beat the Saibaman he had laid out for them. But this was highly unlikely due in part to the massive power disparity between them.

Still, there his space craft floated, drifting gently through the vacuum untouched and undisturbed. While all the chaos on the farmland unfolded thousands of meters below, the craft maintained its present course, with its tiny little passenger quietly sleeping inside.

Of course, all of that was about to change, as only a few minutes after the pod had secured itself in orbit above the Earth, the initially unconscious Gohan's eyes fluttered.

Body twisting and turning as the child gave a satisfied groan, he then slowly sat up and groggily looked around his new environment. Finding himself situated inside of a space only big enough for one or two people, the young hybrid pressed his hands down against the cushions of his seat, before then blinking awake.

"Huh? What? W-Where am I?" Gohan asked out loud, quickly scrambling across the seat and towards the window. Heedlessly crawling over the control panels just below the window, the boy then pressed his hands against the glass and looked out, only to have his gaze widen in astonishment when he saw he was floating above what was clearly planet Earth. "GAH! H-How did I get up here?!"

Having blacked out what he felt like some time ago, the youngster now found himself in a completely unfamiliar and somewhat alarming setting. There he was, sitting in a pod of unknown make, drifting through the vacuum of space above his home planet. A first the child shook his head and rubbed his eyes, thinking that he was still dreaming. But when he looked back through the viewing port and saw that he was still hovering above the clouds, he realized to his dismay that he most certainly was awake.

"_Did… oji-san throw me into his space ship?"_ Gohan thought, figuring that that was the only logical thing that could've happened. From what he remembered from the visitor's conversation with his dad and his friends, his uncle had come from outer space. Therefore he must have arrived here through some means, which turned out to be the very pod that he was now in. This then led to the boy frowning deeply and scrunching his nose up at the odor that was currently wafting through this spot. _"This ship smells."_

Not really wanting to remain trapped in here, the boy then clambered down the control pad and looked at it. Though he was smart enough to figure out arithmetic level math and complex texts just by looking at them, this was the first time he'd ever been inside of a space ship. And an alien one at that.

The control pad was quite complex looking, despite the vessel being so small. Aside from the alien language scribbled over it, the buttons behind the control stick and the numbers were completely beyond what Gohan was able to understand. If there was some connection to the katakana and kanji used down on Earth he would be able to figure out which button or panel did what. But try as he might, aside from a few symbols that resembled numbers, the child drew up a complete blank.

After a few minutes of scratching his head and glaring at the various flashing lights and instruments in front of him in an effort to make sense of them all, the demi-Saiyan toddler decided on the best possible solution out of this mess.

_Fiddle with the buttons and make something happen_.

Inhaling deeply, the child then placed his hands on the control pad and started pressing random keys and switches. He went full ham on the pilot's panel, pressing, jabbing, flipping, and playing with every single button he could find. While there was a tiny chance that he would open the pod's door and inject himself into outer space, the boy expressed little care to that possibility and just followed his instincts.

However, after mashing multiple buttons and switches, the low buzzing sound of an 'error' message began squawking back at him. When he tried pressing some more buttons behind the control stick, the control panel blared at him some more, before suddenly beginning to repeat the words: _**Systems locked. Systems locked. Systems locked.**_

Clearly Raditz had remotely locked up his Attack Ball's control panel and pilot systems so that nothing would happen to it while he wasn't inside of it. Obviously as a way to stop the boy from messing with it if he woke up.

Quickly growing angry at the computer's refusal to play ball, Gohan then stepped back and growled at it. "I'll show you _systems locked_!" He then drew back his fist and punched the control panel where the sound was coming from- a little too hard.

His fist went straight through the metal, causing a loud bang and a series of sparks to fly when he hit some wires. Almost immediately, the ship's engine gave a low roar as the entire pod suddenly rattled.

Gohan, blinked when a series of warning lights flashed into life, quickly pulled out his fist and looked around his confinement. "Uh-oh."

All of a sudden, the voice of the computer spoke as a map of several galaxies flickered across the still intact navigational screen. _**"Light speed drive engaged. Coordinates locked. Destination- Frieza Capital Planet."**_

"Oh, no! No! No! NO!" Gohan suddenly exclaimed, freaking out and waving his hands at the computer screen. "I want to go back to Earth! To Earth! Please, Mrs. Computer! Take me back home!"

When he attempted to fiddle with the buttons some more, the ship suddenly rotated about before, with a loud boom, the craft rocketed off into space. The speed it managed to achieve when it shot off towards the stars was forceful enough to throw Gohan back into the seat and knock his head against the back of the pod. Falling onto the cushions in a daze, the child felt himself lose consciousness again as the Attack Ball blasted away from Earth, past the moon, and effectively out of the Solar System.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Back down on the valley, the battle between Goku, Piccolo and Raditz had quickly become a very fast and messy one.

Almost as soon as the winded Saiyan soldier summoned the last Saibaman in his arsenal, he immediately sent it into battle against the two mighty warriors from Earth. As demonstrated in its previous match against his powerful nephew, the biological green warrior proved itself to be a formidable force, especially against the two unprepared earthlings.

Goku and Piccolo tag-teamed the imp, chasing and lashing out at the tiny alien as it scampered across the valley, parrying and trading blows with the determined pair of fighters. At first the newly hatched being had the upper-hand, using its small size and agility to stay ahead of its opponents, while simultaneously trading blows with them. It even managed to land a few debilitating hits, even slashing through Goku's chest with its claw and ravaging Piccolo with a combination of blows.

When it took its battle to the sky, the two martial artists struggled to pursue it, with the critter managing to knock both of them back down to the ground by bouncing between them and nailing each of them with several punishing, lightning fast blows.

From there, the two warriors of Earth quickly started pulling out everything they had to bring down the beast, firing off ki-blasts and shockwaves in an attempt to shoot the thing out of the sky. Most of their attacks were effectively thwarted or dodged. It was only when Goku managed to distract the Saibaman with a well-timed _Solar Flare_ that Piccolo was able to snag the creature by the leg after extending his arm and then yank it out of the air.

However, upon slamming the little beastie into the earth and cracking the floor on impact, the little creature then did something the demon's heir wasn't expecting. Cracking open its head, it spewed a wave of hot, white fluid across the field, splattering Piccolo's arm and melting it almost instantaneously. The green demon cried out in pain as he retracted his now stump of a limb, watching as the rest of the creature's corrosive goop melted a hole through the ground.

When the winded creature then mounted an attack against the wounded and stricken Piccolo- knocking him to the ground and preparing to pierce him with its claw- it seemed like it was all over for him. That was until Goku managed to nail the Saibaman with a full-power _Kamehameha_ from close range, smacking the surprised creature off of his rival and destroying it, blowing a hole into its torso. With that battle over and done with, the pair then turned their attention to Raditz.

Realizing he wouldn't be able to fight well with only one arm and that both of them had received quite a beating from the Saibaman, Piccolo told Goku to distract the Saiyan while he charged up his new technique to finish his brother off with one hit. Seeing as how their main adversary was weakened from whatever fight he'd had before their arrival, it made the father's chore of handling him seem like less of a hazard. So the willing hero charged into battle without hesitation.

After using the time given to him by his foot soldier to regain his stamina from his fight with Gohan, the wounded warrior was able to put up a decent fight against his brother. The pair traded stiff blows, parrying and dodging respectively, until the still much stronger Raditz began gaining ground on his sibling- hitting him with a flurry of punishing blows.

All of this then led them here.

When Raditz blocked a jumping elbow and then kicked his brother away as a counter, he saw his younger sibling perform a corrective spin midair and land.

Giving a gasp of exhaustion, Goku then cupped his hands at his side and promptly began charging an attack.

His scouter flashing a warning light when it spotted the blue ball of energy forming in the man's palms, the older brother gritted his teeth in alarm. _"His energy level is skyrocketing again! Another energy blast?!"_ Snarling when he saw the numbers approaching a dangerous reading, Raditzcocked both his hands back and focused all of his attention on his persistent sibling. "ALRIGHT, LITTLE BROTHER! LET'S SEE WHAT YOU'VE GOT!" Sparks of yellow light shooting off of his fingers, the man began charging two identical golden spheres of energy in each hand, which pulsed and sizzled as he rapidly started gathering an enormous amount of power.

Goku, clenching his jaw tightly as the ball of ki between his palms shone brilliantly across the valley, chanted his move's signature lines. _**"KAAA…MEEEE… HAAAA… MEEEEE…"**_

Scouter going crazy from the amount of ki building between them, an infuriated Raditz growled before unleashing his attack. _**"DOUBLE SUNDAAAAAAAAAY!"**_ Thrusting his hands forward, a piercing howl ripped through the air as he let loose a massive, golden ball of fiery electricity and sent it screaming across the field towards his sibling.

At that moment, the exhausted and battered Goku gave a snarl of his own- swinging his hands towards the oncoming sphere and letting loose his own blast. _**"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"**_ The roar of his attack erupting from his hands was followed by a flash of blinding blue light, as the beam left his palms and streaked towards the energy ball like a missile. After only a second of flight, the two attacks collided.

A brief tug-of-war match then took place between the determined Goku and his big brother, the resulting clash sending a scorching wind billow out in all directions. The golden ball that was Raditz's attack ground against the thick, blue laser as it drilled into it, its embers splitting in multiple directions in an effort to push back or possibly destroy the orb of deadly energy. However, after several seconds of struggle between the two exhausted warriors, Raditz's attack ball eventually reached critical mass, before detonating in a blinding flash of orange light.

The explosion that took place was gargantuan, sending a dome of flames and a black cloud of smoke belching into the sky. The area at ground zero trembled violently as a gaping fissure was torn into the floor, with the blast wave resulting from the combusting techniques nearly bowling Piccolo over- who was still in the process of charging his own technique.

The warrior had to shut his eyes as his body was pelted by rocks, smoke and earth, which came barreling into him from the explosion.

When the shockwave finally died down, it revealed Raditz still standing with both his hands extended, and a smoking crater lying in front of him. Gasping for air as he narrowed his eyes on the area in front of him, the exhausted Saiyan soon saw the space clear and the other side of the crater formed by the exploding attacks emerge.

He quickly spotted his brother lying on the other side- his shirt disintegrated, upper body burnt, and his arms wrecked and seared from having caught the explosion full in the face. Though he was still miraculously alive judging from how he was groaning from the stinging pain in his arms, obviously out of the two of them it was the defender of Earth who took the main brunt of the fallout.

Piccolo, spotting his fallen ally lying defeated on the other side of the fissure, felt his eyes widen in alarm. "No! GOKU!"

Panting heavily, Raditz smirked as he walked forward, pointing across at his other opponent in the process. "You stay right there, green man! I'll deal with you soon!" Knowing that the man heard him from the growl he gave, the Saiyan then sprang over the gap in the ground and touched down on the other side, directly over his sibling. Standing beside the fallen man and glaring down at his trembling form, the long-haired scout smiled. "That was an impressive attack, little brother. You were able to hold back one of my strongest attacks and almost overpower it. Not bad."

Goku, gasping and hissing from the pain shooting through his body, then mustered a smirk through his twisted, bruised face. "Th-Thanks… for the compliment."

It was then Raditz frowned. "Unfortunately for you, it wasn't good enough. Between the two of us, I'm the only one left standing. That means I win." He then promptly raised his right palm above his head and began gathering energy again- his fingers and hands starting to spark with pink ki. "Despite your colossal failure to rescue your son, you were still able to put up a fight worthy of a Saiyan warrior. And so, to commemorate your effort, I will grant you a death worthy of one."

As Goku clenched his teeth and a distantly watching Piccolo looked on helplessly, the battle seemed lost to them.

However, just as Raditz was cranking back his arm to deliver the final blow, an alarm going off in his scouter alerted the man to a new development. Quickly looking across at the screen, the Saiyan raised his hand and pressed the main button to engage the message. When he saw the information and graph pop up on the glass, the scout gasped and turned his attention towards the sky.

"What? No! NO, NO! Just what the hell did that brat do?!" Raditz shouted, alerting Goku and Piccolo to a sudden development related to Gohan. When they saw the Saiyan stagger forward, things were quickly made all too clear to them when he called out at the top of his lungs. "He's taking my ship to Frieza's planet?! How! I locked down the control panel!"

Based on his scouter's reading, the child had somehow managed to hack the navigational system and set the ship on autopilot, sending it careening on a straight course towards the tyrant's capital world.

Understandably freaking out, Raditz then reached into his back pouch and yanked out his remote. Completely forgetting where he was, the man desperately attempted to get remote lock back on his ship again. "Come on, damn it! Bring it back! Bring it back! Don't leave me stranded on this damn rock!" Jamming his thumb into the remote, he tried to override the autopilot system, but somehow the receiver wasn't responding. A blare from his control caused the Saiyan to curse. _"Shit! That runt must have damaged the main panel!"_

Before Raditz could try another way to get control of his pod, the man suddenly felt his arms and body snap upwards when Goku leapt to his feet and trapped him in a full nelson. The move causing the Saiyan to inadvertently drop his ship's remote, the startled warrior attempted to look behind him as his younger sibling wheeled them both around.

"What?! You're still able to stand?!" Raditz barked, attempting to throw himself out of his brother's grasp, but finding himself unable to. Stumbling about and growling in frustration, the battered and exhausted warrior growled when he found himself turned towards Piccolo. "You wretch! LET ME GO! GRAAAAAGH! I… I should've finished you... when I had the chance!"

Gritting his teeth as he fought back to hold his writhing brother in place, the extremely wounded adult Saiyan inhaled deeply before glaring across at his ally- whom he saw was gaping at the two of them in shock. "P-Piccolo! Your attack… use it! Let's go!"

Snapping out of his stupor, the green-skinned demon smirked and continued his charge- the fingers he had pressed up against his forehead sparking dangerously as he poured another surge of energy into it. "Alright, Goku! Prepare yourself!"

Raditz, gasping when he saw yet another warning light appear on his scouter and the numbers on Piccolo skyrocket, looked behind him desperately. "K-Kakarot! Brother! You're a Saiyan... like me! One of the last of your kind! Don't sacrifice yourself for these Earth dogs! Please! I beg of you!"

This statement drew a smirk from the younger Saiyan. "So nice to know… that you're… so worried about me… bro!" Goku growled back, locking his feet down as the sparks of electricity shooting off of Piccolo's body increased in rate and intensity. Soon the entire area of grass around the powering up warrior became scorched by multiple bolts of lightning tearing across the floor, signaling that his attack was nearing completion.

Sensing the extreme danger approaching, Raditz then tried one last bid to convince his brother to release him and save them both. "L-Little brother! Please! Th-Think about your son! He's up there! If you get hit by this attack… it'll... kill you too! You'll never see him again!"

"I know that!" Goku shouted, grinning broadly. "But my friends… will be able… to wish my boy… and me… back to Earth… using the dragon balls!" This statement had Raditz blink in confusion and still for a moment, allowing the goodhearted Saiyan to tighten his grip on his brother. "He can grant any wish we want! If anyone can do it… Shenron can!"

"D-Dragon balls… what…?" Raditz gasped, only to freeze up when his scouter beeped again, drawing his gaze back to Piccolo.

Pulling his fingers from his forehead as his index and middle digits crackled with golden lightning, the now fully-charged demon king snarled as he took aim towards the two Saiyans. "It's time, Goku! Are you ready?!"

Giving one last pull against his fiercely struggling brother, the raven haired hero screamed, "DO IIIIIIIIIT!"

"KAKAROOOOOOOOT!" Raditz bellowed, his eyes wide in horror as he felt his body jerk upwards and his front expose itself to the other warrior's aim. "STOP! NOOOO!"

"RIGHT!" his ally and rival shouted, taking a step before thrusting his fingers forward with a scream, _**"MAKANKOSAPPOOOOOOOOOO!"**_ (Demon Impaling Light Killing Gun) A loud screech then filled the air when Piccolo unleashed a spiraling beam from his two fingers. With one beam spinning around the other, the attack shot through the air like a corkscrew, approaching the two men with the intent of taking both of them out in the same move.

Raditz, screaming out as he saw the light speed attack approaching them, then gave one last pull against his brother's grip. He loosened it up just enough to reach forward, grab Goku's burnt and mangled wrists, and throw himself downwards as hard and as fast as he could against the vice of his sibling's lock.

Fate of course, had a funny way of shaping a person's destiny.

Due to the energy clash from earlier frying both of Goku's arms as well as some of his upper body, the hero was unable to exert that last bit of strength he needed to hold his older brother back for the killing blow. As a result, when the desperate and terrified Raditz pulled himself forward against his sibling, the hero's arms gave way, allowing his older brother to drop to the ground.

The beam fired by the now stunned Piccolo tore over the Saiyan's head, before slamming into the surprised Goku's torso and knocking him off his feet. With so much energy concentrated into a single point, the corkscrew beam tunneled through the hero's stomach with ease and shot out the other side- streaking across the sky before slamming into a distant mountain, where it exploded with the force of a nuclear blast.

As the sphere of the fireball engulfed the entire peak and incinerated it, both Raditz and Piccolo looked on in disbelief as Goku, his eyes wide in shock and a newly made hole formed in his stomach, fell back to the floor with a heavy thud.

A moment of silence then flooded the area, with both the exhausted Raditz and Piccolo staring at the fallen form of the would-be hero and protector of the planet. A fierce wind blew by, ruffling the grass and bringing a cold chill to the area.

Piccolo as dumbfounded and conflicted. _"I… I killed him…"_ the warrior thought, unable to believe that his attack had not only missed its main target, but had also hit his rival and enemy square on. "I killed... Goku..." Now that he was lying on the ground, bleeding out with a hole in his stomach, the green warrior immediately felt a sense of both overwhelming dread and joy hit him at the same time. It was a very conflicting moment.

As for the other party, they were as equally astonished by the turn of events, having barely avoided death and were now left lying on the charred floor.

"_K-Ka… Kakarot?"_ Raditz gasped, unable to believe that his brother had been killed right before his eyes.

It was a stunning moment- one that he never thought he'd see.

Time seemed to freeze for the two hardened warriors as their minds slowly processed what they'd just seen happen. However, after a few more seconds ticked by and the world once again began turning for them, both Raditz and Piccolo quickly remembered where they were. With the Saiyan brother snapping his gaze back to the Namekian in alarm, the man threw his hand forward and fired a severely weakened blast- the battles he'd fought the entire day having taken their toll on his stamina.

His weak attack arced through the air and landed on the ground at Piccolo's feet, exploding with concussive force and knocking the one-armed warrior over.

Seizing that moment, Raditz summoned whatever strength he had left and quickly bolted from the area, taking flight and streaking towards the mountains. The man didn't even bother to look back to see if his other opponent was alive or pursuing him or not. All of his efforts in that instant were focused on getting him the hell out of there as fast as he could.

So much so that he completely forgot about his nephew and how the child had accidentally taken his ship on a one-way trek across the galaxy.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Author's note:** Okay. That happened. And with this chapter, I conclude the _**Raditz Saga!**_

If anyone can tell me where I took inspiration for the last Raditz scene, let me know in the comment section. "Grins"


	4. Saiyan Saga - Cast Aways

**Dragonball Z**

_**Alter Age**_

_Cast Aways_

(A few minutes later)

When the small group of Z-fighters consisting of Bulma, Master Roshi, Launch, and Krillin finally arrived at the site of the battle between Goku, Piccolo and Raditz, the group found themselves gazing upon a scene that was almost surreal. Completely disregarding the utterly ruined valley around them, scorched earth, and the enormous hole burrowed into the side of the snowcapped mountain, the group was absolutely mortified to find Goku lying defeated on the ground, with a massive hole in his stomach, and blood pooling all around him.

What's more, his arch nemesis Piccolo- still missing an arm- was standing over his fallen partner, his body also in a pretty poor state, and with no Raditz to be seen. All in all, the whole situation raised more than its fair share of questions, many of which the demon king was more than happy to answer.

After his alarmed group of friends converged on his position, with blond Launch moving around to check on their surroundings, Krillin and Bulma made it just in time to share their last few words with their friend. Though the bald fighter desperately pleaded for Goku to stay with them and to not give up, the man's life force was rapidly slipping away, with the last thing the man asked his friends to do was to 'bring Gohan back to Earth with the dragon balls.'

The moment he said this, the father's eyes darkened and closed, and his head rolled to the side- signaling the last embers of his spirit finally dissipating.

Through their anguish and their grief, the group wept over the loss of their friend, with Master Roshi being the only one to maintain his composure. However, despite his hardened face, it was clear that the martial arts master was greatly hit by the loss of his pupil, who he had spent years watching grow up and change, only to then pass on, here in the middle of a scorched battlefield.

While Krillin, Bulma and Launch continued to shed tears over the loss of their dear friend and comrade, the trio were then caught completely by surprise when they saw their companion's body disappear into thin air right before their very eyes. While Krillin scrambled to his feet in alarm after seeing the man's remains vanish, a startled Launch quickly demanded to know where Goku had gone. Piccolo quickly cut in, informing them that Kami had taken his body to _Otherworld_, where his spirit would be able to take on physical form in the afterlife.

The evil half of the guardian of Earth explained that Goku would probably be sent off to train with a new master on the other side- quite possibly the guardian of their galaxy, King Kai. Because he lived and died as a warrior, he had the opportunity to master even more secrets as a fighter beyond the restrictions of the living, which he was certain the spiky haired idiot would love.

With that explanation given, the group felt a wave of reassurance fall over them, which then resulted in the Z-fighters scattering over the area.

"I wonder what Goku's getting up to right now?" Krillin asked as he placed his hands on his hips and looked up into the sky.

Master Roshi, staff held behind his back, smiled warmly. "Well, knowing him, I'm sure he's going to be making the most of it- whatever it is. As long as the Guardian of Earth is there to lead him down the right path, then his soul will certainly be safe."

Wandering over to where the red hat with the dragon ball was lying, Bulma bent over and picked it up- watching as the orange globe flashed under the light of the sun. "All the same, we need to start gathering up the last six dragon balls so that we can wish Gohan back to Earth and then Goku back to life." The woman then turned her gaze skywards and frowned. "I can't believe it. That bastard actually managed to send the poor boy off into space. How horrible."

"From what I heard, the little runt did something with the Saiyan's ship that caused it to fly off to some planet owned by a guy named Frieza. Judging from how frantic the guy was acting, he must've lost control of it," Piccolo informed, drawing the group's attention over to the warrior. As they watched him slip his cape back on, followed then by his turban, the green-skinned demon turned around and glared back at the group. "Even if we were to go after him, I doubt he'll be able to get the kid back."

While Bulma and Krillin exchanged worried looks, Launch, propping her shotgun over her shoulder, turned to stare at the green warrior with a serious expression. "So… that Raditz prick is still running around out there somewhere, huh? Think we should hunt him down and finish him off?"

"No," Piccolo shot back, causing the group to jump a little at the tone of his voice. "Even though he's tired and injured, he's still much stronger than all of us put together. He's also scared and desperate. As long as he's able to move and has that strange device attached to his head, he'll know if we're coming after him." He then shook his head at them. "I wouldn't risk it."

Launch, clicking her tongue in annoyance, then stepped down from her gung-ho posture as Krillin chimed in once again. "You think he'll be back?"

"Most likely," the green warrior answered, flicking is cape back and beginning to focus his energy into his stump of a left arm. "That's why I'm heading off into the mountains to train, so that I can be ready for him when he returns." His change in expressions quickly alerted the main members of the Z-group that something was going on, which not only had Krillin back away, but also prompted Launch to swing her weapon forward out of sheer instinct.

The reason for Piccolo's unexpected change in look was revealed shortly afterwards when, with a yell of pain, the man grew a new arm from the stump on his shoulder with a loud _squelch_. As green blood splattered across the ground from his reformed limb, the demon flexed his fingers a few times, before then turning his gaze back to the team.

"I suggest the rest of you do the same. We're going to need all the help we can get if we're going to face that guy again," Piccolo stated, referring to the warriors amongst the four of them as the now fully-healed, yet winded warrior turned heel and began heading off. "I also suggest you hold off on wishing Goku's kid back to the planet so soon. Something tells me that this alien problem is far from over."

"Huh?" Master Roshi balked, his back straightening sharply. "What do you mean by that?"

This question had Piccolo frown. "I overheard Raditz speaking to the five of you back on your island. He said there were two more Saiyans just like him out there somewhere in space- two more incredibly powerful fighters who are probably just as strong and dangerous as he is." He then turned his back on the ground and faced the mountains, a very serious scowl stretched across his face. "What do you think is going to happen if they find out that one of their own is in trouble? Consider that while you're getting your affairs in order."

His piece said, the green demon king slowly levitated off of the floor, before then shooting off into the sky at full speed, leaving behind a trail of wind and a series of stunned faces on the group of Z-fighters.

OOO

(That night)

Deep in the wilderness, nestled between the safety of several towering mountains and rocky plateaus, a small fire was currently burning at the mouth of a small cave. Tucked away from the rest of the world and hidden well enough from sight that nobody would be able to find him, a wounded yet still very much alive Raditz, was currently in the process of stitching himself up.

Having removed his damaged armor, as well as his boots and gauntlets, the long-haired pirate from another world was doing the best that he could to patch himself up with whatever supplies he had left on hand. Thanks to his ship flying off to Frieza's planet and carrying everything else he'd brought with him, the Saiyan was forced to be economical with his tool kit and hunt for whatever food he could find. Though the latter wasn't too much of a problem for him, considering he had to do all of this while severely injured and concealing his presence, made the task a bit more difficult than it normally would be.

After the thorough beating he'd received at the hands of both his freakishly powerful nephew, and then his father and comrade afterwards, the last thing he wanted to do was attract attention and start another scuffle while in his current state.

Hissing as he applied the healing tank oil over the spot where his ribs were cracked and broken, the exhausted Raditz then gave a groan as he leaned back against the cave wall and gazed up towards the ceiling. His bruised, swollen face showing how drained the man actually was, the winded male allowed the healing solution to slowly take its effect.

_"I can't believe it..."_ Raditz thought, his exhausted stare fixed on the shadows dancing against the rocks as his fire pit crackled brightly in front of him. _"Kakarot died… trying to sacrifice himself… for this place. For this planet…" _A solemn look slowly crept over his face as his mind slowly processed all of the events that'd taken place over the course of his entire day. While things had started off so well- landing on Earth, making contact, and tracking down his wayward sibling- everything quickly spiraled out of control as one chaotic event led to another and then another, resulting in the Saiyan not only receiving a beating of a lifetime, but also ending in complete and utter tragedy.

All of this culminated in the scout secluding himself in a mountain where, he was then left to wonder why his brother- a Saiyan and his own flesh and blood no less- would risk everything, including his own life, to try and save the planet he was sent years ago to conquer? Did he truly love this place? Did this mud ball actually mean something to him? Did its people mean that much to him? Was he not afraid of dying for all of the inhabitants living on it? Why?

"_Why did he do it?"_

So many questions and yet so few answers orbited inside of the Saiyan's mind, biting and gnawing at him like a bug. The result was Raditz being left internally conflicted and broken up over everything that'd happened and ended. It was only while he was being left to stew over these emotions flooding through him that the warrior suddenly remembered exactly where he was and who he now had to answer to for this.

Glancing down from the ceiling to the floor next to him, he saw his scouter lying on the ground beside his armor- its cracked screen flickering in the orange light of the nearby flames. Narrowing his eyes nervously on it as he knew that the unit still had half of its charge left, Raditz then slowly reached over, picked it up, and set it over his ear.

"_Though I don't really want to do this, I need help…"_ Raditz thought. After all, he was trapped and stranded on this world with no way off. And since none of the other grunts in Frieza's forces would bother to come and help a 'pathetic, dirty Saiyan' like him, there were only two other people left that he could turn to.

With a hesitant press of his finger, the man pushed the button on his scouter and promptly made contact with his comrades on the other side of the galaxy. "Vegeta. Nappa. Are you there? Respond."

After a couple seconds of static and crackling over the vacuum of space, the sound of his superior's voice flooded his ear. Judging from his tone, his fellow Saiyan sounded somewhat amused. _**"Well, well, look who finally decided to call in. Raditz. I was wondering when you were going to get back to us."**_ There was a brief pause as the sound of chewing suddenly filled the air, telling the long-haired Saiyan that his companions were probably in the middle of eating after a battle. _**"So, how did your test go? Did everything go according to plan?"**_

Sweating nervously when he heard the oddly chipper sound in Vegeta's voice, the prone Raditz inhaled deeply- albeit raggedly- before then responding. "There was… a bit of a complication…" Was that the right word? Sure. He decided to go with that. "Things started off as I expected. But then the whole situation quickly escalated and things got out of hand."

"_**Oh?"**_ came the prince's sardonic reply, followed by what Raditz assumed was a big smirk. _**"Sounds interesting. Please. Continue. Do tell us what happened down there on Earth."**_

Though reluctant to divulge this information due to his uncertainty, Raditz proceeded to explain in great detail the events that'd transpired since his reunion with his younger brother. He laid the report out plain and simple. He told them all about his battle with his nephew and how the child's power level skyrocketed at an unnatural rate with his excitement. He told them how after knocking him out with three of his Saibamen, he then set him up into space where he would be safe, only for the child to then mess with the controls of his Attack Ball and then take it on a wild ride through space towards Frieza's Capital world. And then he told them about his battle with Goku and Piccolo, how his younger brother perished in the ensuing chaos, and how he fled due to his weakened state.

The entire story came spewing out of Raditz's mouth like water, covering every little thing from the details of his plan to its total and agonizing failure. By the end of it, the Saiyan felt as though his heart was about to burst through his chest out of sheer anxiety, as he knew that Vegeta and Nappa weren't going to take this well at all.

He couldn't have been more right on the money.

"_**So in other words, you did the one thing I told you not to do,"**_ Vegeta's voice chimed in after Raditz concluded his epic tale of tragedy and heartbreak. _**"You fucked up."**_

Hearing this caused the wounded Saiyan to flinch, as the mood he sensed on the other end had suddenly gone from amused to unnerving.

"_**Honestly, I expected nothing less of you- the low-class, reckless, lonely weakling posing as a mid-class warrior, just because he's one of the last living members of our race. You couldn't even handle a simple recovery assignment. How typical,"**_ Vegeta scoffed, knowing full well that Raditz could hear every word.

Clenching his jaw tightly as his fists tightened in anger, the long-haired scout bit back his tongue before slowly responding with a simple and straightforward plea. "I can make it up to you, Vegeta. I promise. Just… please… send a pod out to my location so that I can get off this retched world and recover. When I do, I'll be able to come back and finish what I started, and wipe every damn insect off of the face of this planet. You have my word."

"_**Hmm…"**_ There was a moment of pause as the Saiyan Prince on the other side contemplated the man's words. A few seconds later though, Vegeta came back with a reply that was about to make Raditz's day a hundred times worse. _**"You know what, I won't."**_

Raditz's eyes widened. "W-What?"

"_**You see Raditz, we Saiyan Elites have a certain… **_**standard**_** to live up to. Our image and reputation hinges entirely on the strength of our members and the victories we bring home with us,"**_ Vegeta began, his tone immediately becoming arrogant and full of himself as he proceeded to chew Raditz out further for his defeat. _**"As the greatest and mightiest warriors in the universe, it would be really bad for our station if we were to allow low-level weaklings like you and your brother to become a part of our inner folds. And considering that you not only killed said brother, but also allowed yourself to get trounced by a group of earthlings with such laughable battle powers… I don't think we can afford to keep you around anymore, Raditz."**_

Heart stopping and eyes widening, the shocked warrior felt his mind slowly tick over what was being said to him. When his words became stuck in his throat, after a few tries to get it out, Raditz eventually managed to muster a single, stuttered response. "B-But… Vegeta…"

"_**I don't want to hear any more excuses," **_the voice on the end replied, promptly and bluntly, this time without a single hint of amusement. _**"You're a weakling and a disgrace- you AND your brother both. Hell, that incompetent fool was sent to that planet to do a single job and he failed it. Why should we even consider giving you a second chance when you yourself have proven how feeble and pathetic your family line is?"**_ There was a brief pause as Vegeta allowed the weight of what he had just said to come down on Raditz, who he knew was hanging off of his every insult. After giving it enough time to breathe, the prince continued. _**"You can sit in whatever hole you've dug yourself into and rot for all I care. Don't even think about trying to return to our company or Lord Frieza's. You're done."**_

Feeling as though his own soul were being pulled down into a gaping fissure of despair, Raditz's arms and legs suddenly became weak, and his entire body slumped against the side of the cave. Mouth open, he tried to get another word in, desperate to try and word himself out of this mess- as he'd done several times in the past. But from what Vegeta had said to him, it quickly became clear that the Saiyan's time as one of them was finished.

About a full minute after Vegeta had wrapped up his declaration, the familiar, gruff voice of his other companion suddenly chimed in. _**"That 'green man'**__** you said you were fighting. Piccolo, was it? The one that Kakarot was screaming to? He sounds kind of fun."**_ Raditz suddenly perked up at this, as he heard the once Elite General of the Saiyan forces proceed to address Vegeta over the same line._** "I'm actually quite interested to see what kind of person was able to scare the pants off of poor, useless Raditz. Why don't we go to Earth and pay him a visit?"**_

Following what Raditz assumed was a few seconds of consideration, Vegeta answered. _**"Hmph. While I am curious about that pest's capabilities… I'm more curious about those dragon balls Kakarot mentioned."**_ When another brief silence passed as the man contemplated that little gold nugget, he then followed-up with a final, resolute statement. _**"Since we've got nothing better to do, we'll pay this 'Piccolo' and his friends a visit, and ask them more about these treasures of theirs."**_

Raditz, on the verge of breaking down, tried one last time to appeal to his comrades. "Vegeta. Please! Let me help you! I… I… I can scout ahead, get coordinates on these artefacts for you and Nappa, and then I can-"

Sadly for him, the prince was having none of it. _**"No. We're through with you, Raditz." **_The Saiyan replied, silencing the soldier. _**"Since this is the last time we're going to be speaking to you on good terms, I'm going to give you a choice. Either stay out of our way when we get to Earth… or die. Or better yet, stay right where you are and the two of us will come find you, and put you out of your misery ourselves."**_ Following a static increase, Vegeta concluded their communications. _**"Consider yourself discharged."**_

There was a click and then silence.

Raditz, hearing that last bit from his former teammates, gaped across at the wall on the other side of the cave as his arm dropped limply from his ear piece and landed on the ground beside him. Feeling all his energy leave him, the man then lay there to dwell over the fact that not only had his two comrades renounced him as a Saiyan, but he was also trapped on Earth with no way off, and had lost everything he ever had.

He had nothing. His planet was gone. His "friends" were gone. And his brother was gone.

He was now completely isolated and alone, left to wallow in the squalor of his grief and defeat…

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(On a distant world)

"Hmph. Good riddance," the voice of Nappa cut through the humid air as he sat atop his log, glaring through the visor of his scouter as he reviewed to coordinates to Planet Earth inadvertently given to him from his former comrade's device.

On a world far, far away from the Solar System, on a planet previously inhabited by a race of insectoid aliens, the two Saiyans Vegeta and Nappa were currently enjoying a short break. Following a rather invigorating conquest of the jungle-covered terrestrial body, in which the pair had joyously obliterated the entire civilization of peaceful people, the pair had now relegated themselves to a clearing in the jungle- just downstream from the last village they had sacked.

As bodies of bugs littered the ground around them- men and women based on their body types and sizes- the duo were spending their afternoon sitting by the fire, and roasting the limbs of some of the poor creatures they'd finished slaughtering. Vegeta himself was currently resting on the body of one such alien, devouring one of its carapace limbs while his friend sat behind him, appearing incredibly bored.

Their conversation with their wayward Saiyan Raditz had probably been the most interesting thing they'd experienced while on this now abandoned rock. With nothing else to do, the pair of them had spent it mulling over the fact that their companion had let them down for the last time and besmirched his name as a warrior. This was of course entirely based on Vegeta's opinion, who had made the executive decision to wipe his hands clean of the embarrassment and start their group off fresh.

Now it was just the two of them… and after learning of what had happened on Earth, the duo certainly had a lot to talk about.

Upon analyzing the location and distance they would have to travel to get to the planet drifting in the _Milky Way_ galaxy, the warrior general- a huge, bulky man with a bald head, thin mustache, dark battle armor with yellow accents, and blue scouter- sighed exhaustedly. "It's a shame you had to let Raditz go like that. After what you had to say to him, I kind of feel sorry for the poor fella now. He was a good kid."

"Hmph. Don't waste your pities on a man like him," Vegeta retorted, taking another bite from the arm he'd been cooking and chewing the tender meat from inside. Swallowing it, the warrior with flame-styled, dark brown hair, wearing white battle armor with yellow accents, blue spandex, white gloves and boots, and a pink scouter, scoffed at the bland taste. "Raditz was a poor excuse for a Saiyan and, frankly, a waste of space. If you ask me, he should've up and died a long time ago."

Nappa then inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. "Well, if you think it had to be done, then it had to be done." The big Saiyan then looked down at his superior and comrade inquisitively. "So what's our play here? Go to Earth, hunt down this Piccolo guy, and then go after Raditz? From what I was able to gauge from the scouter, I bet they'll make for some pretty good sport."

Spitting out a bit of shell that got stuck in his teeth, Vegeta smirked and lowered the bug limb he'd been eating. "Feel free to go after them if you wish. I'm more interested in the other thing."

"Ah. You mean those dragon orbs or whatever they are?" Nappa asked, blinking curiously.

Tossing the remaining leg into the fire, the smiling Vegeta stood up and paced around it. "They've certainly caught my interest." He then looked back at his comrade and raised his hand. "Just think of the possibilities, Nappa. If what Kakarot said is true, if we get our hands on those balls, then we can use them to wish for anything we want. Anything at all." He then dropped his fist and chuckled. "Wouldn't you say that's worth making a little trip across the cosmos?"

Finally catching on to what Vegeta was suggesting, Nappa grinned broadly and clenched a fist. "Are you kidding? Yeah. Let's go."

Without wasting anymore time, the two ventured back over to their space pods, which they had parked in a clearing not too far from them. Pushing their way through the jungle, it should be noted that both warriors had a rather enthusiastic spring behind each of their steps, with Nappa looking the most eager of the pair. When they arrived at their vessels, Vegeta divulged to Nappa his plan.

"Once we force Kakarot's friends to tell us where the dragon balls are and how to use them, we'll eliminate them. Along with anyone else that stands in our way- including Raditz," the prince informed, stopping at his vessel, bagging on the top of it and opening the front hatch with a _hiss_. "I'll leave the job of disposing them to you."

"Sounds great," Nappa answered, unable to hide the very eager and malicious grin on his face. When he opened the hatch to his ship, the man then glanced over at his companion as he hopped into his seat. "Have you thought about the wish you're going to make after we get our hands on those dragon balls."

"Oh… I have a pretty good idea," Vegeta replied, reclining back in his seat while smiling across at his partner. "How does eternal life sound?"

The question caused the bald warrior to cock an eyebrow. "What? Living forever? That sounds awesome." He then, with a bit of difficulty due to his size, clambered into his pod and dropped down into the seat. "Yeah. If we can't die, then that means no one will be able to defeat us. We'll be unstoppable."

"Indeed. We'll be the greatest and most powerful fighters in the universe," the prince concluded, crossing his arms and closing his eyes eagerly. "With immortality on our side, we'll be able to ascend to our rightful place alongside the Saiyan warriors of legend."

"Heh," Nappa chuckled, "You mean…?"

"That's right," Vegeta nodded, "The Super Saiyans- just like the ones in the stories."

Once he'd said that, the hatches to their pods sealed shut. Once they did, the ships became surrounded by two identical shimmers, before levitating off of the floor and shooting up into the sky. The _Attack Balls_ bolted through the clouds above the planet, parting them, before making their way through the thermosphere and into space.

With the two Saiyans finally on their way, they left behind not only the vapor trails from their craft, but a completely ruined planet minus its previous population.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Otherworld)

People over the centuries have come up with all sorts of ideas of what they believed life after death was actually like, as well as what awaited them beyond the horizon.

Some imagined a set of pearly, golden gates waiting to be opened for them, leading to a valley of endless white clouds, forests and structures. Others imagined a stairwell leading into the mouth of an endless cavern, stretching down and down through multiple levels of fire, brimstone and magma, with the screams of countless people suffering echoing off of its walls. Reincarnation. Rebirth. Ascension to a new, pure world beyond the event horizon. A world of battle. A world of rewards. A world of torment. A world of celebration. Everyone imagined something different of what awaited them beyond the threshold of the physical plain.

For Goku, where he found himself was certainly a world of endless golden clouds. However, before he could go exploring anywhere, he needed to be processed through a large palace acting as an administration office for the departed souls.

The entire operation was run by a big man in a pinstriped suit known in this realm as King Yemma- a large ogre, chief organizer of the entrance to otherworld, and formerly a student of the great King Kai. The man was in charge of overseeing the passage of spirits to the next world, deciding based on their history and merits whether or not they were worthy to go to Elysium or get sent down to Hell.

It was a tough job and Goku, in awe of everything around him, couldn't help but admire the man for his commitment and effort.

As soon as he was moved on through the Check-In station and he'd bid his farewells to Kami- who was kind enough to see him off- Goku was then escorted towards the back of the main building where the start to Snake Way lay. However, instead of going directly to the winding path, on the way through the palace the hero of Earth was taken on a quick detour by the ogre staff member tasked with guiding him.

When they pulled in to the back garden where a rocky outcrop stood, along with large patches of grass and a collection of ponds, the recently dead Saiyan found himself looking about in confusion. Finding no starting point to King Kai's path here, the man then looked behind him at the blue ogre in the white button up shirt and square glasses smiling at him from the stairway.

"So… umm… why exactly did you bring me here, sir?" Goku asked, at the same time pointing over his shoulder innocently. "Am I supposed to do some sort of test or something?" Sure, the garden looked very lovely. But this wasn't where he was expecting to go.

The ogre in the black tie chortled and shook his head. "No, sir. Not at all. I brought you to this level because a couple of friends of yours on this side said that they wished to meet with you." He then brought a hand out from behind him and gestured the Saiyan's attention across the garden.

Following the man's hand, Goku then saw two people step out from behind a nearby tree. When he saw their forms emerge from the shade and come completely into view, the man gave a couple of surprised blinks before his eyes instantly lit up. Recognizing the first individual right away, the young warrior quickly rushed over to him, as the old, smiling face of his adoptive grandfather- dressed in his trademark oriental robe, black pants, martial arts shoes and cap, beamed back at him warmly.

"Grandpa! You're here!" Goku laughed boisterously, coasting to a stop in front of the man who'd raised him since he was a baby. The man was understandably overjoyed to see him.

The kindly elder in return laughed when he saw his adoptive boy stop and stand before him, dressed in the same orange and blue gi he remembered seeing him on his last trip to the world between the living and the dead. His height was certainly a surprise. "Hello, Goku. My dear boy."

"Long time, no see," the father chuckled as he looked down at the man in the mustache and the golden halo over his head. "How have you been? The last time I saw you, you were watching over Annin-san back in her cave. What happened?" His expression quickly became one of concern. "Did she kick you out of her home because you tried to do something naughty with her?" Like Master Roshi?

After all, the two were very much alike in certain ways.

Grandpa Gohan laughed in amusement and waved a hand towards the hero of Earth. "No, no. Of course not. I've just taken a few days off work to come spend some time over here with a few friends and relatives. When I heard from King Yemma's messenger that you'd just arrived after a big battle on Earth, I dropped everything I was doing to come and see you, to make sure that you were okay."

"Oh? Really?" Goku's smile quickly returned full force when he saw the pleasant smile form on the old fighter's face. "That's great!" It was then the spiky haired hero took notice of the second individual that'd appeared.

When he looked at them, confusion immediately framed his face when the Saiyan laid his eyes upon a person he hadn't met before. Standing taller than his grandfather but much shorter than him, the dead hero of Earth looked over the figure of a young-looking woman, with shoulder-length, spiky black hair, charcoal eyes, and wearing dark spandex pants, yellow tipped boots, and green armor- which suspiciously looked like the same one that a certain someone was wearing when they visited Kame House.

Upon giving the quiet and calm female a quick once-over, the puzzled Goku leaned over to his grandfather and pointed across at her. "Hey, Grandpa. Who's the girl? Is she a friend of yours?"

Grandpa Gohan chuckled. "You could say that." He then waved a hand at the tall fighter and beckoned him towards the female. "She's been waiting to meet with you for quite some time now. I think you should say hello to her. Introduce yourself."

Quickly remembering the manners taught to him by said grandfather, Goku momentarily freaked out before clumsily stepping over and standing before the woman. Noticing the nervous and uncertain look on her face, the spiky haired man gulped before bowing to the woman in greeting and extending a hand. "G-Good day, miss. My name is Goku. Son Goku."

"Goku?" the woman whispered back, noticing his extended hand, but paying it no mind. Instead, she smiled at the man and tilted her head. "Is that the name Gohan gave to you when you landed on Earth, Kakarot?"

The dead hero was immediately caught off guard by that last title. "Huh? K-Kakarot?" Wait. Did she just say…?

Stepping closer to the man, the woman took a moment to look him from head to toe before nodding in approval. "My, what a fine, handsome young man you've grown into. I never expected you to grow so tall… especially since I remember you being so tiny. Guess you really were a late bloomer, like the doctors said." The raven haired woman giggled at the confused blink Goku gave her. "Even after all these years, I still recognize you. You look a lot like your father, after all."

"F-Father?" Goku repeated, tilting his head at the mother a couple of times, before racking his brain trying to think who this stranger could be. Though her face seemed kind of familiar to him, the adult martial arts master was at a complete loss. However, as he continued to listen to her remarks, a picture slowly started to form in the hero's mind, to the point that he was teetering on the edge of realization. It was only after the man saw a brown, furry tail wiggle out from behind the woman and saw it curl through the air happily that it finally clicked for him. "Wait. Are you saying that you're…?"

The woman giggled. "That's right. I'm your mother. My name is Gine." She then bowed to him politely, yet briefly. "It's so good to finally see you again, son. I'm really glad."

"Wow. So… you were my mum… my _real_ mum… back on the planet Raditz was talking about. Before I came to Earth?" Goku asked, completely blown away by the relatives he was meeting in such a short amount of time. The warrior reached up the scratched his head anxiously. "Geez. This is so surreal. I… never thought I would ever get to meet you."

Beaming and taking a few more steps closer, Gine then reached up with both her hands and lightly cupped her boy's cheeks. She almost had to stand on her toes just to reach up to his face, but she managed all the same. The moment her palms made contact and saw Goku stare, the woman tilted her head and gave him a loving look.

"We have time. Would you like to sit down and catch up? I'd love to hear all about your adventures on Earth," Gine said, a hopeful look reflected in her eyes.

Goku, at first unsure, gave a quick look across at his adoptive grandfather. When he saw Gohan beam and nod to him, the young man grinned and quickly smiled back at the woman who was his biological parent. "Sure. I'd love to."

Relieved to hear this, Gine and Goku then went over to a nearby rock and sat together, where the mother proceeded to ask her son all sorts of questions, with the father slowly answering them as best as he could, and in great detail. While Gohan stood by and listened to the pair, looking on fondly as the kind mother and son made up for lost time, behind the same tree where he and Gine had previously walked out from- leaning against the back of it out of sight- a third individual was currently standing and listening in on the conversation.

Dressed in the same armor he'd perished in during the destruction of his home planet and sporting his signature headband, the scar-faced, gruff form of Bardock had also showed up to check on his son. Of course, unlike Gine, in typical Saiyan warrior fashion, the serious man had elected not to come out and ruin the moment between the mother and her boy. Instead, he chose to remain secluded and out of sight, smiling as he heard his happy mate listening and commenting on all the marvelous adventures her son had been on over the years.

Considering the specialness of the situation, the parents were lucky to be able to meet up with their boy, before he went off to train with King Kai while waiting for his friends to wish him back to life.

XXX

(A few days later)

(Somewhere in deep space)

When Master Roshi, Krillin, Bulma and Launch eventually had to break the news to Chi-Chi that her husband was dead and her son had been sent off into space by the Saiyan that defeated him, the woman was understandably upset. Actually, more than that. After freaking out at the news that her little boy had been shot across the cold depths of the cosmos on a one-way trip to some far flung and possibly dangerous world, the news of her beloved's end during the battle against his older brother caused the woman to faint.

It took her exactly one whole night and a morning until she was conscious again. When the mother finally returned to the land of the living, her resurrection was accompanied by an immediate and massive fuss- with the strong woman demanding that her husband's friends work day and night to hunt down the dragon balls and wish her son back to the planet. This of course fell in with Goku's initial wishes to have his little boy brought back safe and sound to the planet, instead of wishing him back to life. After all, the wish to revive him could be done after the dragon balls have completed their one year cooldown cycle.

Clearly he wasn't in any haste to get back- prioritizing the safety of his loved one as opposed to himself. This was typical of his kind and considerate nature.

However, while everyone was all for wishing Gohan back to Earth as soon as possible, there was still a slight wrinkle that they had to take into consideration.

When Piccolo reminded the group of the fact that there were two more Saiyans besides Raditz, he also brought up the possibility that those same Saiyans might come around to get payback for their comrade's defeat. Because this idea remained a very crucial and terrifying point for all of those who'd been involved in the whole debacle, Bulma, Krillin and the others wisely decided to stall their hunt for the dragon balls, and figure out if they should wish Goku or Gohan back first.

Clearly it was a very complicated situation- one laden with many perils and unknowns. And that wasn't even counting the fact that their friend's brother Raditz was still alive somewhere on Earth and in hiding. While Piccolo had a vague idea as to where the Saiyan was hiding out in the mountains, Goku's rival decided not to go out looking for him, as it was obvious that the warrior was still many times more powerful than him- despite the multiple injuries he'd sustained from their battle.

The Saiyan was also most likely keeping a watchful eye for any of Goku's friends and comrades hunting for him, which gave him extra incentive to stay hidden and not be found. Until he was fully healed up of course.

This next adventure was going to prove to be a very busy time for all of the Z-fighters- and not just its core members. While Piccolo knuckled down for a long bout of solo training in the wastelands in preparation for his eventual rematch with Raditz, Bulma headed off to find Yamcha in West City, and Launch took her jet for a flight up North to try and locate the vagrant Tien and Chiaotzu. Since Earth was still at risk from two possible and very dangerous threats, the women were determined to round up their comrades in arms and get them to start preparing for war.

As to who with exactly they had no idea- but they had a feeling that it was going to be a rough one.

While all of this was going on, the most considerate members of the group couldn't help but wonder what was going on with Gohan and whether he was doing okay.

The answer to that of course lay with the young Saiyan, who had spent the last week or so moving about the tiny interior of Raditz's ship, eating from his rations box, and admiring all the stars as he passed them by. Having read up a lot of the astronomy books his mum had forced him to memorize for the science and physics portion of his learning, the boy tried to make a game out of naming all of the clusters and constellations that drifted by his window, many of which had been recorded in his books.

Along with admiring the scenery, the energetic child divided up his time between sleeping, learning to control his energy in a confined space, exercising, and trying to decipher the odd, alien language of the interior of his uncle's ship.

By the end of the first two weeks, the child was able to break down the collection of geometrically based letters, including identifying all of the numbers from 1 to 1000, as well as other basic and obvious words such as 'thrust', 'radar', 'track', 'com' and all the various modes making up the portions of the console he didn't destroy. He even tried to tinker with the underside of the panel to see if he could break into the computer, but ended up causing a rattling sound inside the pod that he didn't like, which told him to not mess with the ship as it was traveling across the galaxy at a rate above light speed travel.

It was a good thing he had enough room to stand in and do pushups and stuff, otherwise the entire trip he was on would've been utterly mind-numbing.

Eventually the flight of his craft led him to this day.

While Gohan was fast asleep on his uncle's seat, curled up into a ball with his tail wrapped around him, the child was completely unaware of an unexpected malfunction taking place with the guidance system. The map and route that the ship had previously been following for the last several days, experienced a sudden glitch when a charge caused by the initial damage the panel had sustained weeks ago caused the computer to change courses.

A small warning light flashed on the control pad as the map turned static for several moments, with the computer's female voice saying: _**"System Error. Course for Frieza Capital Planet cancelled. Rerouting for nearest habitable world. E-Error. System Error. Erro-or…" **_The voice became low and warped, before repeating again- this time in static.

With the computer wigging out as the control panel sparked a few times, the pod then performed a sharp slingshot around a star, before then flying off in a completely different direction than before. When Gohan woke up a couple hours later, he was completely unaware that the _Attack Ball_ had gone off in a new direction and continued on his daily routines of lazing about, training, as well as imagining the kind of place his ship was heading towards.

It wasn't until a couple of days later that he had his question answered.

Arriving on the furthest systems on the long arm of the Milky Way galaxy, Gohan's damaged ship made a B-line straight for one of the large planets orbiting around a red star. Shooting past its two grey moons and down towards the orange and green terrestrial planetoid, the pod broke through the atmosphere and cloud cover- catching fire and leaving a trail of hot smoke in its wake.

Following a very loud and uncomfortable entry, which lasted for well over a minute, the ball-shaped craft eventually careened through a towering plateau, smashing through the top of the stone tower, before then slamming into the ground a split second later. The force of its impact was equivalent to that of a meteor making landfall, with the pod proving how sturdy the exterior was when it left a fifty-foot wide crater in the mountainous terrain, without receiving a single scratch in kind.

With its hull sizzling and gushing with smoke from its break through into the planet, the computer inside the ship immediately shut down all systems to conserve power. Once it did, it then activated a blinking red light in the top corner- on a box that read in an alien language _**Emergency Beacon**_. Once the ship began sending out a distress call across to whatever habitable worlds or civilizations were within reach, a slightly dazed and groggy Gohan hit a nearby button and opened the top hatch.

The door gave off a big puff of steam as it swung open, exposing the demi-Saiyan to his first breath of alien air as he crawled out of the pod and into the open. Groaning as he flinched against the blinding rays of the sun, the shirtless child crawled out of the fissure his ship had formed and up to the top. When he reached the peak of the crevice, stood up and looked around, he immediately found himself in awe of his location.

On first blush the scenery looked almost like Earth. A large plate of desert and stone mountains- many of which arched over to form multiple, large bridges- stretched as far as the eye could see, with a heavy scattering of purple and blue acres of trees covering multiple areas of terrain, particularly the bases of various barren outcrops and lowlands. What set this place apart from any other typical landscape from Gohan's home planet was that not only were the woods purple, but the sky for this particular setting was also red. A blood red to be more precise. With orange clouds drifting across the lower atmosphere. Aside from this slight alteration to the color scheme and the fact that the air was quite hot and stifling, the child felt like he'd landed in quite an interesting location.

Of course, that opinion would become even more understated after his first hour of exploring, which was exactly what the child went and did.

Leaving the vicinity and safety of the crater, the restless, hungry, curious half-Saiyan boy from Earth ambled across the countryside, taking in the environment of this wild, outlying world. In typical fashion while exploring the more uneven and forested grounds, the child would go on all fours, hopping from place to place, sniffing and feeling everything out with his senses. On his first leg out the child didn't notice anything too peculiar. The foliage seemed normal and there were a couple of watering holes too, with these areas being dominated by large insects.

On his little journey, Gohan snatched a couple of dragonfly looking bugs flying through the air around one of the ponds, sniffing them for toxins before eating them. Not too satisfied with the snack, he then sniffed out another kind of game- stumbling upon a large, rodent-like creature grazing on a patch of grass. This rat-like animal, with rabbit ears, a long tails, and cartilage armor plating growing on the outside of its fur, wasn't able to sense the child sneak up on it from the canopy, before dropping down on it from above and biting into the back of its neck, killing it.

Like a wild animal, Gohan proceeded to eat the creature's meat _raw_\- tearing off its carapace defenses with his bare hands and feasting on its flesh and organs. Though the hide was tough and its muscles hard to rip apart, the child managed to consume the creature bit by bit, not caring in the slightest that his face became smeared with its blood and entrails.

The rations on his uncle's pod hadn't been nearly enough to satisfy his enormous appetite- especially after recovering from his big battle with the Saiyan. He wanted more meat. More food. Anything to quell the low growling of his empty belly.

After ripping the animal down to the bone as he happily feasted on it in the clearing, the crouching hybrid suddenly became aware of the sound of heavy stomping and growling nearby. Blinking as he chewed on the mouthful of mammal flank in his mouth while the now empty bones were strewn between his hands, Gohan casually looked over his shoulder to see one of the large, twisting purple figs behind him get shoved aside like a cardboard box.

When it crashed to the floor with an earsplitting _bang_, the mildly surprised boy found himself looking upon the enormous, towering form of a six-legged beast that was as big as an elephant, but nowhere near as friendly. Bearing a sleek, powerful body with six, muscular arms, razor-sharp claws on each of its paws, long tail, and a head shaped like that of a canine's, this wolf-like mutant abomination came to stand over the tiny child and growled down at him threateningly. As it did, Gohan noted that while this massive monster resembled a typical carnivore in shape and build, the animal was also covered in dark red fur, multiple boney protrusions and armor plates above and beneath it, and two thick, straight horns growing out of its head.

Growling lowly as the yellow-eyed, hungry alien glared down at the somewhat startled youngster, the beast then brought one of its six large paws up and slammed it into the floor with a loud _thud_, clearly as a territorial display.

Gohan, blinking as he looked up at the six-legged animal, swallowed the remaining food in his mouth, wiped his blood-smeared lips clean on the back of his arm, and then stood up. When the four-year-old turned and straightened to full height to gaze up at alien predator as it snarled back at him, the child quickly gave it a quick once-over, before smirking devilishly.

His grin was further accentuated by the dark shadow that cast over his feral gaze and his charcoal eyes shimmering with excitement.

"You look like you have a lot of meat on you," Gohan whispered, before dropping the boney carcass of his previous, rodent kill and clenching his fists. As he did so, his hair started to rise up and a wind kicked up from his body. Sensing the increase in presence from the preschooler, the giant, six-legged wolf stepped back and dropped into a crouching posture- growling even louder while the tiny lifeform in front of it flexed his power. Upon which the demi-Saiyan then dropped down onto all fours and, with a deep growl of his own as his back arched, barked out loud. "Good! Because I'm still very, _very_ hungry!"

Its yellow eyes suddenly glowing, the hair on the wolf's back rose up as a white aura sprang around it, blasting wind and dust in all directions. The moment it powered up, several large, boney spikes shot out of its spine and shoulders, creating a defense on it that was in no way friendly.

Gohan in kind also powered up, white steam erupting from his body while his teeth sharpened and irises dilated. A split second later he bolted up at the wolf, at the same time it lunged in at him, opening its mouth and snapping its jaws down on him!

OOO

(Two weeks later)

(Back on Earth)

A fiery explosion erupted from one of the mountains in the middle of the wilderness to the northeast, the very location where the demon king's descendent Piccolo had chosen to conduct his training. Completely isolated from any traces of civilization, with the only lifeforms for miles around being wild animals and dinosaurs roaming the landscape, the green, powerful warrior of the planet was using every minute he had polishing up his skills and increasing his battle power.

With nothing to distract him, nobody to watch out for, and no troubled conscience holding him back, the archrival of Goku and former scourge of the world was making cracking good progress in his training. Or at least that's what he was hoping.

From what he could gouge so far as he stood there on the edge of the cliff, looking up at the edifice that he'd just laid into with one of his blasts, his progress was consistent and steady, with the power from his energy attacks starting to show a lot more impact than they had before. Exercising them in the various ways that he was using them was also helping to improve his speed of execution and stamina.

Taking a few deep, ragged breaths, Piccolo then dropped his arm upon seeing the dust settle around the enormous divot he'd formed in the stone mountain across from him. As he examined the bedrock and felt his cape flutter behind him, the warrior then took a moment to catch his breath as sweat trickled down his forehead.

"_Hmph… at this rate, I'll be more than capable of handling that bastard on my own in just a couple months,"_ Piccolo thought, narrowing his eyes as he measured his current power level from what he remembered his most recent opponent's. By his estimate, he was getting closer and closer by the day, which made a small part of him clench his fist in exhilaration. Heck, he probably wouldn't even need help from Goku's friends. _"That is of course if our friend from outer space doesn't decide to get any stronger in that time."_

Unfortunately for Piccolo, his choice of career didn't often come with small mercies. Because almost as soon as he'd said that, the slightly winded demon's eyes widened when his senses picked up something massive enter his range. Wheeling around when he got a lock on the mental signal, the earthling honed in on the presence coming towards him from the west. After scanning the individual, the green warrior's face paled.

Speak of the devil.

"_Oh, this is __**not**__ happening right now!"_ Piccolo thought, cursing to himself when he realized what was coming his way. _"It can't be!"_

All this time since that fateful battle, the young warrior had thought that he was in the clear. That his opponent had been so hurt, so exhausted, and so utterly scared that he'd hightailed it into the hills, with the main intent of hiding away from the Z-fighters and licking his wounds. After having lost his ship and his main reason for coming to this planet, Piccolo had believed that the warrior thought himself stranded, on a world he did not know, outnumbered and out of options. He'd also hoped his presence here would dissuade the man from showing himself, in spite of the big power gap between them, lest risk being discovered.

Piccolo didn't properly consider the possibility that the man would come out to find him.

In a matter of seconds, the green warrior saw the form of Raditz appear in the sky- at first as a dot, before eventually materializing in his full, armored glory as he dropped down from the clouds and dove towards his position. With his speed, Piccolo thought for sure that the guy was coming in for an attack, and braced himself for either a fight or flight moment.

The instant the green demon locked his stance, the spiky haired Raditz touched down on the secluded, rocky outcrop overlooking the mountain landscape. When his boots crunched against the loose granite and kicked up a puff of dust, the two found themselves locked in a very tense standoff, with one assumed in a proper fighting posture while the other stood straight up and composed.

As Piccolo glared across at the calm looking warrior with the ruined battle armor and scouter, he quickly became aware of the high-pitched beeping sound coming from the unit. The sight of its cracked screen flickering caused the fighter to snarl in frustration. _"Tsk. Of course he would find me. I've been training like crazy out here for the last four weeks, so his device would've definitely picked me up. I got careless."_ He probably should've been a bit more discreet. But now really wasn't the time for 'what-ifs' or 'could-ifs'. A more pressing issue had just resurfaced._ "Shit. I think he's gotten even stronger than before."_

That was definitely not good. How was that possible?

Raditz meanwhile, as the green martial artist in front of him sweated bullets, did a composite scan of his own, his eyes tracing the warrior's stance while the numbers of his unit analyzed the Namekian's power level. When the unit finally managed to get a reading back to him, the Saiyan cocked an eyebrow. _"Hmm. The green man's gotten a little bit more powerful since the last time we met. Not bad."_ Clearly he'd been training in preparation for a second fight with him in the future.

Too bad he had to cut that opportunity short. He would've liked to have seen what he could do in a few months.

Quickly growing impatient at the silence filling the air, the cautious-looking Piccolo bared his teeth and furrowed his brow. "I wasn't expecting to see you up and about so soon."

"Likewise," Raditz shot back, his tone noticeably less haughty and aggressive than before. Glancing across at the ruined mountain behind the caped fighter, the Saiyan invader chuckled. "I see you've been keeping yourself _busy_ in the days since our fight. Been leveling a couple square miles of land just to blow off some steam? Or are you planning on building something in their place?" His smile then became a little cocky. "Real estate?"

"Hmph. I think the answer to that should be pretty obvious," Piccolo quickly responded, keeping his senses wide open and posture fixed defensively as he kept his eyes glued on his foe. "A guy like me has a lot of enemies out there to fight and a lot of goals to fulfil. I have no intention of letting myself slack off while you're hiding out in your cave and nursing your bruises." Though the man wasn't on guard or exhibiting any hostile intent, the new demon king opted to keep his hands up, just in case.

A smirk graced the newcomer's lips. "Fair enough. Though, if I was you, I'd probably look into getting a castle or something else down the line."

"Alright. Spare me the smug responses and just tell me what the hell you want," Piccolo demanded, deciding to cut out the silly banter and get right to the point.

Raditz, hearing the impatience in the warrior's voice and seeing the glare he had fixed on him, took a deep breath. "Before you get any wild or stupid ideas, I didn't come here to fight you. That would just be a waste of time, energy, and manpower on both our parts." Partly because he would be able to crush the Namekian with even less effort than before, while his opponent would likely be flailing about angrily the entire time.

Thank Kai for his race's naturally recurring _Zenkai_.

Eye twitching at the man's tone, Piccolo's frown deepened. "Oh yeah? So what did you come all the way out here for?"

Sensing the tension growing, Raditz got down to business. "To talk."

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	5. Saiyan Saga - The Discovery

**Dragonball Z**

_**Alter Age**_

_The Discovery_

(That afternoon)

(Kami's Lookout)

The life of the Guardian of Earth was, for the most part, a very calm and serene one. Living on top of an immaculate, white marble palace chalk full of labyrinths and secret chambers, floating high above the clouds and looking down across the better part of the continent, set the stage for perhaps one of the most honored and respected jobs on the planet. Almost every day Kami, following his long night of silent meditation, would step out of the main building to stand on the edge of the levitating platform, and look down at the world that he was tasked with overseeing and protecting.

In his position above the planet, he was able to sense and hear everything going on down below. From the everyday achievements and struggles of the people, to the times of peace and war between nations, to the times of prosperity and famine, the elderly watcher of the world was able to see it all. Though in the last 300 or so years the guardian had been able to go down to the world to see for himself how the population was coping and to experience for himself the lives of mortals, those periods had only been mere, fleeting moments over a tenure that'd already spanned three whole centuries.

And yet, throughout all those same years, aside from the one spat with the only rival he ever had in the form of Garlic Senior and his conflicts with his other half, the most eventful and chaotic period he'd ever experienced came when Son Goku showed up on his front porch. Literally.

When that boy appeared to him, not only did his everyday life on the Lookout become a little more brighter and a little more active, he was also given the opportunity to go down to Earth and compete in one of the earthlings' hallowed martial arts competitions- as well as take part in battle with his counterpart's successor in combat. It'd been a harrowing and unnerving experience, but it was probably the most fun Kami could remember ever having in the past three centuries.

The guardian of the planet thought that that day could never be topped. That was until King Piccolo's son decided to turn up on his balcony.

While the elderly, staff-wielding protectorate of the Earth was out on his usual walk around the perimeter of the Lookout and Mr. Popo was in the process of watering the flowerbeds, the pair suddenly detected the approach of two very powerful figures. At first alarmed when they felt the size of one of those presences, the identity of the owners soon made themselves known seconds later, when Piccolo Jr. and Raditz suddenly came flying up from the planet below.

Touching down at the front entryway to the palace, the two differently dressed and intimidating warriors stood before Kami with cold, hard expressions in play. The arrival of the evil half of the guardian, as well as the Earth's most recent visitor, caused not only a cold chill to fall over the marble palace, but also a nervous sweat to build up on the protector's wrinkled head. Even Mr. Popo, who was so shocked to see the arrival of the pair, dropped his water bucket out of sheer terror.

Cape billowing behind him, the serious-looking Piccolo then slowly approached his other half, while Raditz remained in the back looking around at the new location he'd been brought to. This allowed the demon king's descendent to address his counterpart on his own terms and without interruption.

Leaning against his staff, the troubled and cautious Kami lowered his head toward his visitor. "Piccolo? This is a bit of an… _unexpected_ surprise. I never thought I'd see the day that you of all people would come and visit me on my Lookout."

"Believe me, seeing your wrinkly, old face up here on this floating palace was the last thing I ever wanted to do," the young warrior in the turban responded harshly and abruptly, not even caring that he was breaking the metaphorical restraining order imposed on him by the old guardian of the planet. "Frankly I'm still a little bit conflicted about even coming here."

"And yet you still came," Kami remarked, raising his head a little when he saw Piccolo's eye twitch in annoyance. "As ironic as this all is, the fact that you were able to muster up the stomach to come up to the Lookout tells me that what you have to say is incredibly important." The elder then turned his attention to Raditz, who he could see was standing behind his counterpart silently and glaring across at him with an uncertain look on his face. "So… I take it that this is the man that was responsible for Goku's death."

This comment had Piccolo scoff before correcting his colleague. "Partly responsible. Don't forget, I was the one that fired the attack that killed your star pupil and sent him off to the next world." This ended with the green warrior lowering his head and smirking. "And I'd do it again if I had the chance."

Frown deepening, Kami then shot his other half a look. "What could've possibly compelled you to bring this person to my domain?"

Quickly moving back to the topic at hand, Piccolo's expressions deepened. "I want you to contact all of Goku's friends and allies, and bring them here. There's been a development."

Kami frowned before glancing over at Raditz. "Does it have something to do with him?"

While the Saiyan frowned at the look the old man gave him, Piccolo quickly answered in his place. "Yes."

"Is the world under threat?" Kami asked immediately afterwards.

"Let me put it this way," his other half responded with an unamused glare. "If we don't get all of Goku's friends together and beat them into shape, in a year's time there won't be a world anymore."

OOO

(A couple weeks later)

(Somewhere in deep space)

On the outskirts of the Milky Way, far out of reach of any populated worlds, two _Attack Balls_ could be seen blasting through the area on route to an unspecified destination somewhere in the furthest parts of the galaxy. Streaking through the territory side-by-side, passing outlying moons, planets and stars left and right, the two craft resembling the one that Raditz used to arrive on Earth, burned a trail across the void as their pilots rested comfortably inside- enjoying the scenery and the quiet offered to them by their flight.

It should be noted that unlike the pods that the low-class Saiyan and his allies used, these particular vessels had a certain symbol painted on the front of their hatches. This insignia took the form of a black shield with a downward pointing, white arrow head with four accented points, and a purple spot in the center. This identified the owners of the pod, as well as who they were aligned to.

As to the pilots occupying the spaces inside the small ships, though dressed in similar uniforms, were two aliens that were entirely different from one another.

The first was a large, muscular humanoid-alien with dark green skin and long, black spiky hair similar to Raditz's. On top of his bulky build, the man also wore a unique armor that was far different from the one the Saiyan wore, consisting of a single, light green armored vest, with a black torso piece with his pod's insignia on it, and a single brown accent that stretched over his left shoulder. With it, he wore a pair of white gloves, white boots, purple spandex underwear, and a white helmet with a brown center, with a yellow lensed scouter over his left eye. Of the two, he was the largest and clearly the toughest looking.

The second alien however was a complete opposite of the first one- an attractive young humanoid-girl around sixteen years old, with blueish skin, pointy ears, an athletic build, and short, spiky orange hair that was combed to one side and shaved on the other. Unlike her bulky comrade, the girl had a much smaller version of the same branded chest armor with the single accent, only this one not only showed off her generous cleavage, but also exposed a bit more of her midriff- particularly her smooth, toned abs and bellybutton. She also wore white gloves and boots with no lower body armor, and only a pair of tiny purple bloomers that accentuated her shapely legs and pert buttocks. Furthermore, on top of her built and pretty face, the blue-eyed female also had a pink scouter over her left eye, and single, gold, diamond-shaped earring hanging off her right lobe.

While the duo were of completely different races- the male being a Beppa-seijin from Cooler Planet 256 and the female being a Hera-seijin formerly of Cooler Planet 23- because they both wore the same uniforms, it was clear they were both allied to the same ruler.

Clearly on a mission to scout out this area of the galaxy, the boy and girl team continued on their present course. While they were busy resting, the green alien male clicked his tongue before radioing across to his comrade.

"Hey, Myra. This trip is taking forever. Remind me again why we came all the way out here?" the helmet-wearing alien asked impatiently, clearly not at all pleased about having to sit inside the pod for the last few hours.

Sighing response, the teal-skinned alien girl typed into the keys of her pod's control panel, as she then brought up a quick scan of the sector. "Salza said that one of our border stations picked up a distress beacon registering somewhere in the outlying territories of this galaxy, between Lord Cooler's and Lord Frieza's spaces. Since the signal was going out along the Frieza Force's frequency, the captain sent us out to this area to check it out." She then frowned and glared across at the pod she could see trailing alongside her through the window. "Didn't you listen to him when he called us yesterday, Dore?"

"Yeah… well…" the identified alien groaned while leaning back with his hands behind his head, "I guess I was only _half_ paying attention. I'm not a big fan of scouting missions. They're boring and usually just involve us checking out a whole load of nothing."

"Ugh," Myra groaned while rolling her eyes, "Just pay attention next time, you meathead. Seriously. I'm getting really sick and tired of having to read back orders to you every time you and I team up because you're too busy- I don't know… daydreaming about your pro-wrestling days."

"Hey, I'm not as attentive and detail-oriented as you are. I don't give two licks about any of that admin and routine crap," Dore replied, cracking a smile and clenched one of his fists in the air in front of him. "I'm more of a… rough-housing, stone-smashing, frontline fighting kind of guy. Give me an assignment where all I have to do is punch and kick a bunch of fools, and you've got my attention for the entire mission!"

Myra sighed when she heard this before mumbling, "No wonder you're the lowest ranking chromosome in the group."

"Huh?" Dore asked when he heard this, "What was that?"

"Nothing. Nothing, Dore," Myra replied, before smiling cheekily. "Just go back to fantasizing about your gold belts and adoring fans."

"Hmph. Fine…"

While Dore was left to stew over the girl's comment, a red light suddenly started to flash next to the scanning unit of both of their pods. When Myra looked down at it before accessing the signal through the computer generated map, the female warrior blinked before grinning. "Got yah!" She then promptly radioed in to her comrade on the other end of the mic. "Hey! I finally got a lock on that signal!"

"Huh?" Dore exclaimed, sitting up sharply and looking across at his partner's pod. "You did?"

"Yeah! It's coming from that planetoid several dozen parsecs off of our starboard flank! Designation SOL-8887 orbiting Star 149." Myra replied, before quickly typing into her computer and modifying the trajectories of both her pod and her friend's. When the computer gave a loud hum, their _Attack Balls'_ course was promptly altered, turning both vessels in the direction of said distress beacon and taking on a sudden burst of speed. "We're coming in on it now. Standby."

And so they did. The two space ships carrying the two soldiers rocketed towards the red and green world being orbited by two moons. Blowing past the satellites and piercing through the atmosphere, the ships made a prompt, yet gentle descent through the cloud banks towards the source of the red blip that was now pinging loudly on their radars. The multiple numbers displayed on screen counted down their approach, before the two vessels eventually slammed into the ground about a mile out from their target.

Once their ships made landfall, the hatches on their pods opened, ejecting the two warriors onto the strange and unknown world. When they jumped out of the two large craters their ships had formed, the pair immediately took to the air and floated beside one another- showing the size difference between the hulking green male and his blue-skinned, adolescent partner.

Upon achieving a high enough altitude, they then used their scouters to track the distress beacon, which eventually had them facing north.

"That way. Towards that stretch of lowland between the mountains," Myra stated, leaning forward and taking flight, with her companion sticking close behind.

Streaking across the sky and breakneck speeds, both armored fighters arrived at the spot where the signal was coming from and discovered another large crater resting in the middle of the wilderness. Their arrival scattering the pack of armored marsupials congregating around the fissure, the pair touched down on the edge of the hole, with Dore heading down first to investigate.

"Alright then. Let's see what we've got here," the Beppa-seijin remarked.

Coming upon the open _Attack Ball_, the man rested a hand against the top of its white hull and peered inside- narrowing his eyes on the interior. His yellow scouter beeped into life as he scanned its registration and model numbers resting along the rim of the hatch's opening, which quickly brought up a series of specs.

Myra, seeing her partner do something useful for a change, raised her head curiously as she watched him study the wreckage. "Well? Find anything?"

"Zip. The pod is empty. There's a hell of a big mess inside though. A lot of scratches and rubbish- probably from whatever slob decided to crack open his flight rations for a feed," Dore remarked, narrowing his eyes when the details of the pod's owner shot up after several seconds of searching. The green warrior frowned and straightened up, before looking back up at Myra. "Yep. This is one of Frieza's _Attack Balls_ alright. Registered to one of his scouts. Doesn't say who."

The Hera-seijin blinked. "Any idea how it wound up all the way out here?"

Dore placed a hand over the earpiece of his scouter. "The log says that it was heading back towards Frieza Planet 79- but the navigational computer experienced a malfunction and shorted out on the way there." He then looked back inside and towards the control pad, where he saw a small hole smashed into it close to the stick, along with multiple sets of wires ripped out. This observation had the alien frown. "The entire main panel on the right-hand side is completely mangled. Whoever was piloting this thing smashed through the locking system and damaged the hardware. That probably explains why it crashed."

"So it made an emergency landing on this world?" Myra questioned herself. The answer sounding plausible, the young girl then turned her attention to the landscape and began scanning the horizon. When several numbers flickered across her scouter, the Hera-seijin cocked her head. "Hm. Not a bad place to end up. But there's an awful lot of dangerous creatures running around. Most of these lifeform readings are registering around 4000 each." Seemed normal, considering the gravity of this place was ten times greater than normal.

"Hmph. That'd be unlucky if the guy's power level was a lot less than that," Dore answered as he craned his head a little more inside the ship to check out the back, but found nothing. "He'd probably be monster chow by now."

"Does it say exactly when the ship landed?" Myra asked, wanting to see if they could track down the owner of the ship. Depending on how long ago the pod touched down, she'd be able to extend her search to the appropriate distances.

"It says… around a month ago," Dore replied, before deciding to dispense with the search and leapt out of the crater. Landing beside his smaller partner, the muscular alien set his hands on his hips and looked down at his friend inquisitively. "If it's only been a few weeks, then our guy should be somewhere in this area. That is… if he hasn't been eaten by something already."

"Well, hopefully we'll have some sort of body to bring back home with us," Myra remarked, at the same time shaking her head. "It'd be a waste if we came all the way out here for nothing. And you know how much Cooler-sama hates wasted efforts." He was a very shrewd and efficient man after all. That's the kind of boss their emperor was.

All of a sudden, as the pair were busy looking around, both of their scouters suddenly lit up with numbers and the ground started to shake. Blinking in alarm, the pair saw multiple caution arrows and warning lights flicker across their visors, with the duo beginning to scan areas of land in two different directions. As they did, the trembling in the ground grew more violent and a low rumbling sound began to fill the air.

"Hey. W-What is that?" Dore asked, almost losing his balance when the ground tipped as it shook.

Scouter going crazy from the anomalous readings it was receiving, Myra looked downwards. "I'm picking up multiple lifeforms moving underground! I… I can't get a lock on them." The rumbling intensifying and the rocks around them splitting, the young girl realized that whatever was scurrying around beneath them and tunneling through the earth was closing in on the surface at an alarming rate. "Keep your eyes peeled!"

Just as the two of them took battle stances, the ground on the other side of the massive crater suddenly exploded and an enormous black mass shot out of the planet. When the pair looked up through the shower of rubble and dust that belched into the air, they saw the lifeform that'd appeared reach up into the sky and arc over them- its sheer size immediately casting a dark shadow over the area.

As the rumbling continued, both Myra and Dore noticed the landscape around them also give off more blasts of debris in multiple directions, as more and more of the lifeform's body coiled and jutted to the surface. When the haze of dust finally parted and the pair glared up at the skyscraper sized animal that'd appeared before them, they found themselves gazing up at the multi-legged mass of a fully armored and angry-looking centipede.

Unlike its regular-sized companions, this enormous titan of an arthropod stood about fifty stories above the two warriors, with its body coiling around the landscape for almost two whole miles. When the creature glared down at them and bared its enormous, bladed mandibles at the pair and a jaw filled with razor sharp teeth, its total power reading suddenly jumped up onto their screens, alarming both Myra and Dore when they saw exactly what they were up against.

"Battle power of 12,000?!" Dore shouted, not really expecting such a massive and dangerous-looking animal to just come out of nowhere. He then grinned broadly in excitement. "Damn! That's one crazy big bug!"

Myra, doing a quick scan of the multi-legged arachnid as it loomed over them and hissed, swung her arm forward and took aim. "It's probably an apex-predator on this planet. Don't worry. I'll get rid of it."

This alerted the green warrior and had him shout at his friend, "Huh?! Hang on a second, Myra! That's not fair! Let me kill it! Come on!"

Just as the girl was charging up a blast to put a hole through the dragon insect's head, she suddenly stopped when she saw its entire body shudder. Blinking when its body swayed in a rather awkward manner, Myra and Dore then watched as the titanic centipede raised its head towards the clouds, gave a low, pained roar, before suddenly keeling over and collapsing towards the ground. A deafening thunderclap of an impact resonated across the entire country when the insect beast's upper body, as well as the rest of its undulating form, struck the ground and formed a massive, winding fissure across the rocky terrain.

When the shockwaves and dust from its impact finally settled, and the air cleared, both Dore and Myra blinked in confusion as they looked upon the now prone form of the predatory bug.

Bringing a hand up and pressing the button on her scouter, the female Hera blinked when she got a return reading of zero across all the boards. "It's dead?" All of its life signs just dropped all of a sudden.

"What the heck just happened?" Dore asked, looking across at the beast oddly with a rather flabbergasted expression. "Did it suddenly up and die when it saw us? Did it have a heart attack… or… _multiple_ heart attacks?" He wasn't sure how many hearts a creature like this would have, but it would probably be a lot. Especially given its size.

"Don't be ridiculous. Of course it didn't," Myra replied, only to then recoil when a new number suddenly jumped up on screening. As her scouter crunched the reading, the Hera frowned. "Hold on. I'm picking up something else."

Both she and Dore watched for a full minute as their scouters began tracking something moving around the beast's body. Whether it was the centipede itself or something else they weren't sure, but their devices were detecting another new presence coming out into the open. When their units fixed their gazes upon the upper torso of the centipede, the pair suddenly heard the sound of loud squelching and cracking coming from inside its carapace.

Narrowing their eyes when they thought they saw one of its legs twitch, after a few more tense moments of listening to the noises grow louder and louder, they suddenly saw the underside of the toppled centipede explode outwards in a shower of entrails. Bits of shell and carapace splattering across the ground, the pair of grossed out fighters then looked towards the small hole that'd formed in the belly of the arthropod, where they then saw a tiny creature of some kind crawl out of its gullet.

Covered in steaming green slime, the miniscule figure crawled out into the open and slowly stood up. When it did, it shook off the slime covering most of his body and wiped down his arms. With most of the surface goo dripping off of him, the creature revealed itself to be none other than Gohan- the four-year-old wearing nothing but a pair of ruined pants, now transformed into tattered shorts, standing in the blood, guts, and stomach acid of the centipede he'd just killed.

Dore balked when he saw the half-naked youngster emerge from the insect's body. "It's a… kid?"

"What's a boy like him doing all the way out here?" Myra asked, also appearing completely taken aback by the sight. "And… how in Hera's name did he get inside of that thing? Did that giant bug try to eat him?"

Brushing the bits of gunk from his messy, soaking black hair, the unperturbed youngster then looked around where he'd emerged- only to have his attention drawn to Myra and Dore standing several yards in front of him.

After the two groups shared an awkward stare with one another, with a full several seconds of silence passing between them, the surprised Gohan's expression then became feral, as the child crouched low into a fighting stance and snarled. As his hair stood on end and posture hardened, Myra's scouter beeped as it finalized the reading of the boy, which caused her to blink in shock.

"His… His power level is over 13,000?" Myra gasped, unable to believe what she was reading as her scouter also gave her a bio-scan of the child. "Impossible."

Dore almost swallowed his tongue at that information. "What? A kid that tiny, has a battle power that high?" He also did a quick scan of the youngster, clearly unable to believe what his companion was telling him. "Come on. Your scouter must be fried or something. There's just no way a runt like him could-" He then stopped short when he saw the scanner finish analyzing the child's power output, which led to the Beppa-seijin's jaw dropping. "Holy crap, you're not lying."

As Myra slowly processed the fact that she was looking at a boy with a battle power well over the average sentient life form and soldier in Cooler's forces, the girl then saw something that caught her eye. When the child in front of her crouched down onto his hands and continued snarling in their direction, she saw a brown, furry tail whip out from behind him and wave in the air aggressively.

Upon sifting through all her acquired knowledge of intergalactic species in her head and recalling of the genetic traits of the most famous humanoid races on record, Myra was able to come up with a racial profile of the individual. She almost stumbled over when she realized what had come tearing its way out of the centipede.

"He's a… Saiyan?" the Hera stuttered.

"Huh? A Saiyan?" Dore balked, squinting at the child and noticing the tail too. He then shook his head in surprise. "What could a Saiyan brat be doing on a remote planet like this?"

Did he have a family here? A home? Was there a clan of other Saiya warriors living somewhere out here in this deserted and hostile location? If there was, they would've probably detected them on their scouters by now. But all they were getting were other life form readings- none of which consistent with a sentient alien's scans.

Quickly mulling over what they already knew and what they'd just found out, Myra suddenly had a brainwave, which caused her to straighten up in a surprised manner. "He must've been on the pod that crash-landed here." She then stepped forward as she watched the child continue to make eyes at them, obviously as a way to try and drive them off. He didn't like what he was feeling from the two powerful newcomers. "Yeah. Now it makes sense. He must've stolen it from one of Frieza's men and caused it to land here while he was escaping."

Dore looked across at his partner in confusion. "What? Are you saying he was a prisoner of Frieza or something?"

"I don't know. But what I do know is that he is incredibly wild and strong… and that he's probably been stuck her for a few weeks, surviving off of whatever animals he could hunt," Myra said, a rather big smile suddenly forming across her lips as she looked at the boy baring his fangs at them. "He must've been attacked by that giant centipede while he was out exploring the planet and got swallowed by it. When the bug couldn't digest him, he then smashed his way out of its stomach and ravaged its internal organs, killing it."

The summary of the possible events that'd transpired for the kid drew a laugh from the tough-guy Dore, who then set a hand on his hip. "I'm not gonna lie, that's pretty fuckin' metal." After his scouter switched off, the elite soldier then glanced across at his Hera-seijin teammate. "So what do we do with him?"

Thinking on it for a few moments, the orange-haired adolescent's smile returned even wider than before, as she then puffed her ample chest out. "Since we came all this way out here to find a distress beacon of a crashed ship, it would be a waste to go back home emptyhanded." Myra then nodded towards the boy as his fingers dug into the ground and steam continued to lift off of him. "Let's take him with us. I'm sure Cooler-sama will be very interested to meet with this boy… especially since he has a battle power close to some of Frieza's strongest warriors. He might even make a great asset for him some day."

"Heh. Can't argue with that," Dore replied, banging his helmet a couple of times before deciding to walk forward. "Alright. Let's bag em' and tag em'." Casually ambling towards the child, the green alien raised his hand and waved to the snarling youngster, whose hair stood on end as the alien elite closed in on him and the pool of centipede blood. "Yo there, runt! How's it going? You want to come with us?!"

With one last growl of warning, Gohan then sprang from the ground and flew towards Dore in a blur, giving a loud growl as he lunged in with his claws and teeth at full bare. He then lashed out at the smirking green warrior, who nonchalantly stepped to the side and dodged his attack. When he saw the boy fly past him, he then watched the kid go for Myra instead, dashing towards her in a zigzag pattern to throw her off, before lunging at her from the side.

Just like Dore, the Hera stepped back and avoided his attack. However, instead of just moving out of the way, she swiftly raised her hand and chopped at the kid's neck, hitting him square in a pressure point and knocking him out. A stunned look came over Gohan's face and his eyes instantly went blank, a split second before his body dropped to the ground. However, before he could hit it, the sole female member of Cooler's Armored Squadron caught him by the chest and slung him over her shoulder.

Prize grabbed, both Myra and Dore shared a nod with one another, before both of them turned around and took off into the sky- heading back to their ships.

While they had no idea how Lord Cooler was going to react to them bringing a Saiyan child with them back to his capital ship, they were positive that his strength will definitely peak the planet destroyer's curiosity.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Author's Note:** So? What do you guys think?

Gohan getting taken in by Cooler's Armored Squadron? Should be interesting.

Plus, with the addition of Myra, an OC Hera-seijin on Cooler's elite, she and Gohan together will make an interesting foil for the story to come.


	6. Saiyan Saga - The Recruit

**Dragonball Z**

_**Alter Age**_

_The Recruit_

(A couple days later)

Gohan, eyes flickering open as a dim light filtered through his lids. Squinting and groaning from the dizziness that came over him, the child took a moment to regain his equilibrium before slowly sitting up. When he looked about to see where he was currently sleeping, he found himself inside of another space ship- similar to the one that his uncle had thrown him into and then used to travel across most of the known galaxy.

Not quite remembering how he managed to get stuck inside of it, the boy then looked up at the seat he was lying beside, where he immediately found himself staring at the smooth, bare legs of his female captor. This person took the form of the beautiful and athletic Hera-seijin- Myra- who currently had her thighs crossed and was gazing out her vessel's window as her _Attack Ball_ tore across the cosmos at speeds well over that of light.

When she heard the child shift, the orange-haired adolescent looked down and beamed when she saw his surprised eyes staring back up at her. "Oh? You're awake. That's good." She then leaned forward and propped an arm over her legs for support. "Did you have a nice sleep?"

After several seconds of gaping, Gohan suddenly remembered exactly what'd happened before he'd blacked out. Realizing he'd been knocked out by this girl, the boy's expression immediately became aggressive. "You!" Scrambling to his feet, he then leapt at the female inside of the confined space with a growl, only to get clotheslined on the back of the woman's arm and effortlessly held back.

Myra laughed when the boy attempted to punch and kick out at her, her free hand blocking his strikes when they came in close. "Hey! Hey! It's okay. It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you, little guy. Relax." When she felt him settle down a little, yet continue to glare at her through bared canines. Her scouter activating, the teenage girl was able to get a good readout of his current power level, which had her smile happily. "As I thought. Your power level is incredible. 13,120. That's impressive for a kid your size."

Once she was certain the youngster wasn't going to attack her inside the spaceship, she then slowly and carefully lowered him down to the space on the pilot seat next to her. When he was comfortably on his knees, Myra then leaned back and looked at him. Seeing his body was covered in recently healed scratches and dirt, with his only piece of clothing being his green, ruined pants and white belt, the adolescent then tilted her head.

"What's your name?" the Hera asked.

Expression relaxing and becoming one that was a bit more aggressive, the still cautious-looking hybrid responded. "I'm… Gohan."

"Gohan, huh?" Myra repeated before beaming. "That's a nice name. Certainly not an ordinary one." She then scrunched her face up thoughtfully. "How old are you?'

"I'm four and a half… going on five," the child corrected, not holding up his fingers this time as he had before.

"Wow. So young," the fighter remarked as she looked him over. "And you have so much power already? You must be extremely gifted. Where exactly do you come from?" When she saw the boy's expression immediately stiffen in a clear sign of suspicion and distrust, the female chuckled. "That's okay. You don't have to tell me. I already know that you're a Saiyan, so that's more than enough." She then pointed up at herself and towards her teal skin. "My name is Myra. My people come from a planet called Hera, but my family and I were born on CP-23- a world owned by Emperor Cooler." Lowering her hand, she then began to inspect the youngster's face further as the look he took on became more curious. "I'm curious… how the heck did you end up on that planet we found you on? Surely you weren't living there."

Blinking a couple of times when he saw the pretty girl smiling kindly at him, the four-year-old considered whether or not he should tell her. After some inner debate, he eventually relented. "I… was stuck inside my uncle's spaceship and tried to get out of it. When I damaged the computer, I was blasted off into space and away from my world." Seeing the girl nod, Gohan then carefully recited back the rest of the events that followed. "After a few days of flying across the stars, the ship crash-landed. I then spent the next few days exploring the planet… which was a lot of fun." He then grinned at the Hera. "I got to fight a lot of strong and cool-looking animals."

Hearing his story, Myra couldn't help but giggle at how cute his smile looked at the end of it. "Boy, you're a tough little runt, aren't you? Being trapped on that isolated hunk of rock all by yourself without anyone to look after you and grappling with all kinds of monsters. I don't think I would've been able to do that at your age."

Gohan's tail wagged happily as he beamed back at the friendly alien girl, who he started to see as someone who wasn't a threat to him. "It's okay. I'm used to running around a lot on my own. I'm not scared of anything."

"I can tell," Myra chuckled, remembering when she first saw the kid bust out of the stomach of the colossal centipede monster that he'd killed. "But still, I'm sure you must miss your home and your parents quite a lot."

Visibly thinking for a moment, the child looked away for a moment. "Kind of. I miss my mum, my dad and my grandpa… but I don't know where they are or what they're doing right now. Maybe they're still trying to fight off my uncle when he came to visit. He was very strong." He then looked back at Myra to see the surprised and slightly saddened look on her face, as it was clear she thought the boy had family problems. Of course, the situation was a lot more complicated than she realized, but Gohan didn't give her any specifics- partly out of tact. "I bet my parents are really worried about me too, since I've never been this far away from home for so long before."

"Hundreds of light years away from any habitable planets? Yeah… I certainly would be if I was them," Myra responded, before then cracking a smile and looking at the youngster fondly. "But honestly, I don't think they should have anything to worry about. Since you're so outrageously strong for a boy your age, you can practically fend off and crush any danger that comes your way with ease." She then put on a broad grin. "Tell me, do you like to fight?"

Gohan laughed and clenched a fist confidently. "Oh yeah. I _love_ to fight! Especially when I'm up against someone really tough and can hit back just as hard as I can! It really gets my blood pumping!" His eyes then took on a bit of a shine to them, before he leant forward and grinned at the young girl. "Hey, hey! Are you good at fighting, onēsan?"

"Hmm… well… I _am_ a member on Cooler's most elite fighting group, a ranked officer in his army, and arguably the second strongest warrior in my squad next to Neiz. So… yeah… I guess you could say I'm a good fighter," Myra chuckled, responding to the boy's query with amusement and a touch of pride.

The boy's grin widened enthusiastically as he gazed up at the teen. "I thought so. I can sense how strong you really are. It's amazing. You're… like… _a thousand times_ more powerful than my dad."

His sincere compliment put a warm smile on the girl's face and in her cheeks, which in turn had her reach up and ruffle his hair. "So you can tell how strong I am without a scouter, huh? That's a neat little trick. Can you use that skill to track and locate people too?" When she saw the child nod her head eagerly, Myra then leaned over and whispered into his ear. "Hey. Maybe you can teach me how to do that sometime, yeah?"

"Yeah. Okay," Gohan exclaimed, grinning as he then scrambled over the teen's lap. Surprising her with his brisk movements, the boy then looked out the side of the window and pointed towards the other pod he can see flying next to them. "Is that your teammate in the ship over there?"

Myra nodded when she saw where he was pointing. "Uh-huh. That's Dore. He used to be a professional wrestler and champion grappler back on his home planet- defeating every single opponent that stepped up to face him with only a handful of moves. When Captain Salza saw him in action, he immediately noticed the incredible skill and strength that he had in combat, and enlisted him on the spot." She then stuck her nose into the air proudly and grinned. "Although, in my own humble opinion, I'm a lot stronger than _that_ blockhead. Not to mention a hundred times more attractive."

Almost immediately, the radio in the ship crackled before the angry voice of her comrade came shouting back over the radio._** "Hey! I heard that, Myra!"**_

"I know you did," the Hera chirped back over the com with a grin, "Why do you think I said it out loud over the radio?"

"_**Grrr…"**_ came the warrior's irate growl._** "The next time we hit the ship's gym, I'm gonna suplex you through the floor."**_

"In your dreams, green boy," Myra chuckled. "Remember the last time you tried to do that to me? I busted your nose and broke three of your ribs."

Blinking curiously at the girl's interaction, especially how she giggled playfully at the end, Gohan turned about in his seat. "Are you guys… soldiers or something? You're both wearing the same armor as each other… and you also mentioned that you were part of some kind of _elite force_." A squad to be exact. It certainly sounded important to him, especially with how eloquently worded her statement was.

The question drew a warm smile from Myra. "Yeah. But my companion and I are not just part of any ordinary fighting group." The girl stuck her chest out proudly and performed one of her group's impromptu battle poses in the seated position- sticking her right arm up in a flourish while her other arm crossed over, the latter's hand forming a 'Peace Sign' over her forehead. "We're part of the renowned _Cooler's Armored Squadron_\- the most efficient and deadly attack squad in the galaxy, specializing in open combat, stealth, tactical, and frontline assault." She then grinned at the odd look Gohan threw her, which prompted her to drop her arms. "We are officers employed by the Cold family who answer directly to the illustrious Lord Cooler- and are his most trusted guards. You could say we are his right-hand men and women."

"Wow. That… sounds… really cool," Gohan whispered, his expression showcasing his amazement. Following the girl's rather awkward display in such a cramped space, the child then placed his hands on his lap and beamed brightly at the girl. "Guarding a ruler. I bet that's a super important job. Is this Cooler guy nice?"

"Oh, Lord Cooler is a wise, just, and powerful man. There isn't a single lifeform in the universe capable of matching his might and mercy, save for members of his own family," Myra informed, resting her arms back on her seat while watching the youngster's reactions with intent. "We serve at his leisure and do his bidding without question. It is through his generosity that our group is even capable of acting out and performing missions at our own discretion- otherwise we would be nothing but mindless slaves."

Gohan tilted his head. "That would be very bad, huh?"

"Indeed," Myra chuckled, crossing her arms and leaning back comfortably in her seat. "Cooler-sama is a very astute and shrewd individual- renowned for his intelligence and superb martial arts prowess. With his interest in power, I'm sure that he will be very delighted to meet with you and assess your latent abilities for himself. Who knows, he might even see your potential and offer you a position in our forces- where you'll be able to fight and train till your heart's content."

"Really?" Gohan asked, before grinning broadly at the girl. "That sounds awesome."

The adolescent chuckled at the youngster's eagerness, before then raising a hand and making a 'shushing' gesture with her finger. "A few words of advice before you meet him though. Because you will be meeting one the foremost rulers of the galaxy, you have to remember to stand up straight, address him as _Lord Cooler _or _sir_, do not speak unless spoken to, and keep your sentences short and to the point. Are we clear?" When she saw the child stiffen and nod, Myra grinned. "Good."

At that moment, they heard Dore chuckle from the other side of the radio. _**"Don't you think that's a bit too much for the little twerp to remember? I doubt he'll be able to make a good first impression."**_

"I'm sure he'll be fine, Dore," the Hera said back, at the same time reclining into her seat while Gohan listened in on the pair, before proceeding to crawl over the girl's bare thighs on his hands and feet. "Even though he's energetic and wild, he seems like a really bright kid. I know he'll be able to make the right choices."

Not to mention she had a really good feeling about this one.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Somewhere in deep space)

Shooting across space alongside one another, the two _Attack Balls_ carrying the Saiyans Vegeta and Nappa, were tearing a clear path towards planet Earth.

It hadn't been that long since the pair had left the world that they had previously conquered. But even after just a few minutes into their flight, the pair of warriors were feeling incredibly restless. They wanted to get to their next destination as soon as possible, so that they could meet and fight the warriors that Raditz had encountered, and track down these so called wish-granting dragon balls. Thus, the two of them had set their ships at top speed- their gravity drives blasting at full power, and sending them shooting out of the galaxy in a very short time.

However, they had millions of more parsecs to cover before they could get within spitting distance of the solar system. So, choosing to use up the time that they had constructively, the pair, sat, waited, meditated, and contemplated all of the issues that they were likely to encounter along the way.

While Vegeta was busy having a nap- his arms folded and eyes closed in their signature, brooding manner- the voice of his companion suddenly crackled over his scouter's radio.

"_**Hey, Vegeta,"**_ the gravelly voice of Nappa echoed into his midst, rousing the Saiyan Prince from his slumber. _**"I just had a thought."**_

The flame-haired male frowned. "What is it, Nappa?"

"_**That half-Saiyan brat that Raditz tested- Kakarot's kid. The one with the freaky high power level that wouldn't stop climbing,"**_ the former general replied, his tone sounding both serious and concerned. _**"What do you make of him?"**_

Quickly being reminded of the fight that they'd been monitoring through their units weeks before, Vegeta focused his gaze downwards for a moment before giving off a mumbling sound of thought. "He was certainly impressive. That much is clear. A half-breed child able to take on both a Saibaman and Raditz one after the other, and beat both of them down with relative ease. That definitely speaks volumes about the amount of potential he has."

In fact, the boy's power level spikes had gone up to such a high level that it had both Vegeta and Nappa worried for a moment. They only reason that they two of them didn't make such a big deal about it was that they played it off as just a malfunction in their scouters or something.

However, after thinking back on the transmissions they got back from their former comrade, they slowly realized that it probably wasn't a whole load of bull after all.

"That child has the makings of a great Saiyan in him," Vegeta answered finally, his expression remaining firm and unperturbed.

A grunt from the other end of the scouter sounded Nappa's response. _**"That's high praise coming from you, Vegeta. I guess the boy really did manage to peak your interest somewhat."**_ He then sighed while considering the location upon which they were approaching. _**"But what do you think will happen if we run into him down on Earth? Think the brat will make for a good challenge?"**_

Vegeta, narrowing his eyes a little, then scoffed and looked across to the side. "Please. A half-breed child is nothing compared to a full-blooded Saiyan royal like me. You can't even put us on the same level. Besides… I don't think I'll be able to get a chance to face off against that runt, even if I wanted to. Apparently the kid took Raditz's ship for a cruise across the galaxy and left the long-haired idiot stranded on Earth. No doubt we won't be running into him anytime soon."

"_**Ah. Yeah. Now I remember,"**_ Nappa responded, his brain clicking on that little note before the man resigned to relaxing back into his seat again. _**"Shame. But if it makes our hunt for the dragon balls even easier, then I'm all for it."**_

Hearing this, Vegeta smirked and closed his eyes once again. "Indeed."

OOO

(Sometime later)

(Cooler Planet 113)

Orbiting above a large, blue planet covered in thick layers of white cloud and multiple green islands, floated a very large and unique spacecraft. Saucer in shape, covered in white and black metal plates, and multiple circular yellow and blue viewing windows running around the entire perimeter of the vessel, this large craft served as the base of operations of one of the universe's most revered tyrants.

Accompanied by a large number of smaller vessels consisting of supply transports, scout ships and assault craft, all of which were floating around the massive saucer in no particular formation, it was clear that the leader of this great, intergalactic armada was not one that was easily approached or waved off. As the ships carried on with their routine patrol of the space surrounding the blue world and its three moons, over on the giant capital ship, any and all visitors to the area would be able to spy a glimpse of the leader's enormous power and influence.

Aliens of multiple races, sexes and species, dressed in the same style of white and brown RIT battle armor, many of which also sporting helmets with full face visors, could be seen marching up and down the halls- either in pairs or as individuals- performing their regular duties. The environment of the capital ship, though uniformed and hectic, showed how well the aliens were working alongside one another. Obviously efficiency and discipline were key principles practiced in this organization.

Of course, despite the militarized system in place, the soldiers and staff working under this banner were still allowed to have their free time and fun. Further along the vessel's main hall and standing by one of the ship's main windows, the highest ranking officer in this military and Captain of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_\- Salza- was currently enjoying one of his regular work breaks in the usual manner.

Adorned in his group's signature gear, consisting of lime-green chest armor with accented left shoulder guard, full-length purple bodysuit, and white gloves and boots, the effeminate looking, turquoise skinned alien with the athletic build, short blonde hair curled to the left and hanging over his green scouter, was leaning against the hall's support pillar and giving a very dashing smile to the person he was currently speaking with.

From the tone he was using, it was clear the Captain of the Elite Guard was really charming the pants off of the figure in question.

"You are the wildest… most _gorgeous_ thing I've ever seen. Not even the morning sunrise over the mountains on Raisa can compare to the sheer breadth and majesty of your splendor. Nobody deserves you. _Nobody_," Salza spoke, his voice deep, passionate, and laced with a foreign accent so sublime it would've melted the pants off of any girl. "But at least I know our children will be beautiful."

As it turns out, the person that Salza was spouting all these cheesy lines to was, in fact, _himself_… in the reflection of one of the ship's many viewing windows. He was making such a big display of it that every single soldier and guard walking down the corridor, comically kept their distance by walking around the man in a big arc, while he continued to shamelessly flirt with the glass.

"If I could propose to you, I would," Salza whispered with a smile, at the same time waving his hair back arrogantly. "But if I did that, then who would I have left to tease during my moments of levity?"

"Salza. What are you doing?" the familiar, nasally voice of his friend Neiz suddenly spoke up from behind, causing the blond alien to snap out of his trance-like state.

Spinning around, the Brench-seijin immediately laid eyes on his teammate- a tall, amphibian-humanoid with brown skin, pointy ears, and wearing the exact same uniform as his, save for a pair of spandex shorts, staring back at him with an odd look on his wide face. Realizing he'd been caught, a startled Salza shook his head before standing more upright and clearing his throat.

"N-Nothing. Nothing at all, Neiz," the Captain stuttered, before regaining his composure and quickly coming up with a hasty, plausible response. "I was just thinking out loud about a new strategy that the team could practice during our next training session together. Yeah. That's it. Stuff that we can incorporate into our squadron formations before our next assignment. Hahaha." Smiling broadly at the end while keeping his eyes closed, Salza then slowly cracked open a lid to look across at Neiz- who he saw was staring at him with his arms crossed and a disbelieving look in play. "How… long have you been standing there… exactly?"

The Zalt-seijin cocked a brow, "About five minutes." A wide grin then stretched across Neiz's lips. "You seemed…*snicker*… pretty preoccupied with yourself, so I decided not to interrupt." He then pointed a thumb over his shoulder towards a couple of female soldiers whispering to each other and looking across at them just down the hall. "Although, I think you might want to dial it back a bit. You're scaring some of the crew."

Appearing somewhat embarrassed, Salza gave a low groan and nodded in understanding. "Ugh. Very well." He then turned around. But before he could walk off, he looked across at his reflection, stared at it, before whispering under his breath, "I'm not done with you yet." Upon which he then started to march off, with a thoroughly amused Neiz following close behind.

When the much taller elite eventually came up alongside his captain, the pair continued following the corridor looping around the entire perimeter of the vessel. During which time the warrior from Zalt then realized why he'd come around to grab his commander in the first place and promptly hurried his pace to move into his comrade's peripheral vision.

"By the way, Myra and Dore just called. They said that they found the source of the distress signal. It was coming from an _Attack Ball_ that came down on a remote planet on the edge of Lord Frieza's territory- a world inhabited by countless dangerous animals and wild beasts," the warrior informed in his usual, croaky and high-pitched voice.

"Oh? And did they find out who activated that signal?" Salza asked, glancing across at his teammate. "Was it one of Frieza's men, King Cold's… or ours?"

The amphibian male chuckled. "No. Myra said it was some random kid. Apparently he took a scouting pod out for a little joyride and crash-landed it on that world, which triggered the emergency transponder. They're bringing him in right now to introduce him to Lord Cooler."

"Hm. Interesting," Salza remarked, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I'm actually quite curious to see what kind of prize those two managed to reel in."

Taking a right turn, the pair of Cooler's elite proceeded towards the docking bay. About five minutes after arriving at the vessel's main hangar, which was already housing a couple of other transport vessels and escape pods, the pair saw the bottom hatch open and the two _Attack Balls_ belonging to their comrades float up into the room. As soon as they were caught by the large cranes, carried over to the landing pads and lowered, the hatches opened.

Hopping out from their ships, Myra and Dore appeared on the scene, with the former escorting the young, shirtless child that they'd recovered on the planet. She's also leant him a spandex shirt, which she had stowed away inside of her ship to cover him up.

When the pair walked over to their companions waiting patiently by the hangar's entrance, passing by the naval officers in charge of the area, Salza and Neiz took immediate note of the child with their female companion.

Glancing down at the raven haired youngster, the captain of the armored squad blinked when he noticed the brown tail swishing behind him. "A Saiyan? You two managed to find a living, breathing, Saiyan child on the outskirts of the neighboring galaxy?"

"Weren't all the Saiyans killed when Planet Vegeta went up in smoke?" Neiz asked, at the same time tilting his head down at the youngster when he saw him looking around the hangar- completely in awe at everything he was seeing.

"Apparently not," Dore remarked while folding his arms and looking down at the runt as he studied the various spaceships and aliens walking around him. "We found this one when he busted out of the chest of a centipede the size of an entire country that'd tried to eat him. It was rad."

Salza crinkled his nose when he leaned in to get a better look at the youngster, only to then recoil at the stench coming off of him. "Ugh. I wouldn't say the same thing about the smell." Waving his hand in front of his face, the blond then turned his glare towards Myra. "So you brought this little monkey back to the ship to introduce him to Lord Cooler?"

The orange haired Hera nodded affirmatively. "That's right."

"Any particular reason why?" Salza asked, with a look that said that he really wanted to hear his subordinate's reasons for bringing the child with her. "I highly doubt that Cooler-sama would want to trouble himself with the matter of a lost child that you happened to find wandering out in the wilderness." Not to mention one that was so filthy.

Myra frowned at her superior's statement, before reaching over and patting Gohan on the head, who she noticed had started listening to the four incredibly tall and large warriors now talking about him. "He may not look it, but this boy is incredibly resilient and powerful. When we scanned him, he displayed an energy level of over 13,000."

This statement had the Captain and Neiz appear taken aback, with the latter also stumbling out of shock.

"Thirteen-thousand?" the Zalt-seijin gawked.

"Impossible," Salza replied, while glancing down at the boy with a frown. "A child… and a Saiyan child no less, boasting a power level of that size? Surely you jest, Myra."

"No, I'm not. See for yourselves," the Hera replied confidently while gesturing to the young man beside her.

And that's exactly what they did. Both Salza and Neiz tapped the main switches of their scouters and scanned the youngster in order to confirm their teammate's statement. While Gohan simply stood there with an innocent look on his face and his arms at his sides, both men saw the child's numbers blow past their initial expectations, with the two of them balking when they saw his count stop at just over 13,000. They then cleared their screens and looked at the kid with clearly impressed expressions on their faces.

"You're right," Neiz said, in a voice that was part stunned and part disbelieving. "That's… incredible."

A sigh left the leader's lips as a bead of sweat ran down his brow. "More like highly irregular," Salza remarked.

"See?" Myra replied, smiling as she stepped closer to the boy and beamed down at him proudly- clearly very fond of her discovery. "Though I have no idea where he came from or why he ended up on that accursed planet, I can tell that this kid is something truly special. Maybe even special enough to make Lord Cooler want to enlist him into his personal guard."

Hearing this, Dore's eyes widened in alarm. "Whoa. Hold on a second, Myra. You mean to tell me that you want this little pipsqueak-"

"-to join _our_ squad?" Neiz finished in place of his friend, his own jaw becoming slack with disbelief. "Our illustrious fighting team? The strongest warriors in Cooler-sama's empire?"

Myra nodded affirmatively to the pair's stunned responses. "I do," she said, beaming brightly while turning her attention towards her silent squadron leader. "There are few beings in the universe who are born with a power level over one thousand. A child of only four years old with this kind of raw strength definitely has the potential to grow up to become someone incredibly powerful in the future. Someone I'm positive our venerable lord will greatly desire to have as part of his military."

While Neiz and Dore continued to appear shocked at what their comrade was proposing, Salza- considering the female's words for a moment- made a murmuring sound through his lips before glaring down at the child. When he saw Gohan look up at him with his wide, innocent eyes and tail wagging behind him, the blond-haired male narrowed his glare for a moment before nodding.

"Very well," Salza finally answered, drawing everyone's gazes towards him as the Captain then turned and beckoned his group to follow. "We'll present this child to Lord Cooler for assessment. After that… well… I can't promise you anything." The boy's fate would be left entirely up to their leader, who the captain knew would either enlist him or kill him. "Don't be disappointed if this meeting doesn't go your way, Myra."

The Hera-seijin, frowning a little, bowed her head nonetheless. "Understood, sir."

With varied levels of enthusiasm, the rest of the squad fell in step with their captain, and proceeded to follow him out of the docking bay and into the main halls of the ship. As a unit, the team moved through the well-lit corridors of the vessel with clear purpose in their strides, passing by multiple doors, open rooms, and armored soldiers patrolling the decks. When the naval personnel noticed the group of intimidating warriors marching towards them, they quickly stepped aside and saluted them, giving the strongest fighters and highest ranking members in Cooler's armed forces their due respect.

While all this was going on, the ever-curious Gohan found himself becoming fascinated by… pretty much everything around him. The sights. The smells. The sounds. The atmosphere. All of these elements were completely new sensations to the young Saiyan, who up until a month ago had never even set foot outside of his mountain home.

Going on a fly across the continent with his father.

Being kidnapped by his uncle.

Fighting him.

Being shot up into space.

Crash landing on a far-away planet.

Then exploring said planet and fighting the animals living on it.

Upon recalling everything that'd happened to him in the last several weeks, the hybrid could say without a shadow of a doubt that they had been the most fun and interesting times he'd ever experienced in his entire life.

And considering what was happening to him now, he could tell that it was about to get even more exciting.

While the squad was ambling along at the pace set by their captain, Neiz, noticing Gohan staring at a couple of green aliens in armor guarding a door, smirked down at the child and decided to get a little word in with him. "So, little snot. What do the people on your home planet call you?"

Glancing up at the tall man that was addressing him, the innocent, wild demi-Saiyan blinked. "Uhh… Gohan."

"Gohan, hm?" the amphibian repeated, testing it a couple of times in his head before scrunching his brow. "Doesn't sound like any Saiyan name I've ever heard before. Then again… I haven't really met many other Saiyans before, so I wouldn't really know what most of them would be called."

The child looked from Neiz across to Dore and Myra. "Why is that?" he asked curiously. "Aren't there any Saiyans living around here?"

Myra smiled back at the youngster. "Saiyans don't live in our area of space. They originated from a planet on the far side of the _Milky Way_ galaxy, which is a system owned and occupied by Lord Cooler's brother, Frieza." The adolescent smiled and pointed down at the floor. "Cooler-sama owns and controls the entire _Andromeda_ galaxy, along with several others right alongside his younger sibling."

"Oh?" Gohan replied, before quickly using the information he'd been given to form a picture in his head of the current political structure. "So these kings… Lord Frieza and Lord Cooler… they rule over different galaxies across the universe?"

Dore smiled and nodded, "Bingo. Although… I wouldn't really call Lord Frieza and Lord Cooler _kings_. They're more like… young _emperors_ or _princes_, tasked with governing and managing two different halves of the known universe." The Beppa-seijin then grinned at the kid. "The one who really calls the shots though is their father, King Cold."

"He was the one who originally decided which parts of space his sons were allowed to control," Neiz stated, putting his head up as he contemplated the current dynamic that shaped the world that they lived in. "The great king split up and divided his territory between the two of them, and informed them which parts of the cosmos they were allowed to command and conquer, before then stepping down into retirement."

"Salza originally worked for Cold-sama as one of his top lieutenants, before being enlisted over to our lord as the leader of his most elite squad in the _Cooler Force_," Myra informed afterwards, drawing Gohan's attention back towards her and to the Brench-seijin walking in front of them. "He was in charge of our team long before I even joined. That means he has seniority over most of the entire armada."

Gohan, looking up at the blond haired male marching in front of them, was then hit with a sense of realization. "Oooh. So… he must be, like… super old? Right?" He then tilted his head. "Shouldn't he have more wrinkles on his face though? Why does he look so girlie?"

While the child's comment caused a listening Dore, Neiz and Myra to nearly burst out laughing, with the latter cupping her mouth and the former snickering, a listening Salza found his eye twitch and teeth grit irritably. When the giggles behind him continued, the blonde captain turned around and glared down at the child gazing up at him inquisitively.

"Watch it, you little smart aleck," Salza said with a sneer.

After wiping away a tear, the amphibian Zalt looked down at the boy as he looked between the members of the group in confusion. Clearly he didn't realize that what he'd said had irked the captain. "I think I'm going to like this kid."

"Me too," Dore chuckled while placing a hand on his hip. "He's alright."

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Otherworld)

Goku could practically feel his heart pounding in his ears as he continued to sprint along the concrete road that made up the back of _Snake Way_. A seemingly endless, ridiculously long super highway that made up one of the trials the Saiyan father would have to overcome in order to meet with the great King Kai, the surveyor of the northern galaxies. His meeting with his grandfather, as well as his mother- Gine- had helped to give the man an extra spark as he sprinted down the twists and turns of the winding, perilous footpath.

Despite being dead- his spirit confined to a physical body that could never age or starve- Goku could still feel the burn in his legs and chest as he continued his brisk jog along the serpent's solid back. He'd passed over hills, gone round twisting bends, leapt over terrifying gaps between winding stretches, and went for entire straight lengths without any rest. And yet the horizon of golden clouds laid out before him didn't seem to want to end. It was almost like being stuck inside a hamster wheel beside a moving wall, only the routes he was taking at least had some alterations to it.

However, no matter how many hours passed or how many legs he covered, his scenery just did not change.

"_At least that stop off at Princess Snake's castle was interesting," _Goku thought, trying to look on a brighter note by recalling that large, oriental building he'd pulled over for a break. Though the owner and resident of the palace had blatantly tried to seduce him, the man's fortitude and faith in his family and friends was unbendable, and he was able to shake off the _God of Snakeway's_ advances.

Putting aside the danger he'd faced with that meeting, the encounter with the beautiful woman had proved to be one of the Saiyan hero's most interesting stops on his seemingly infinite journey.

After looping around a mountain jutting up out of the clouds and stopping on the road's peak, Goku slowed down for a moment and came to a shaky stop. Dripping sweat and panting hard, the man set his hands on his knees and stared down at the road for a moment, before then glancing up to see how much further he had to go.

When he saw the lower back of the snake continue looping over the horizon, the tired warrior gave a low groan of disbelief, before then straightening up and taking another deep breath.

"Well… I wouldn't want this to be too easy," Goku chirped to himself, putting on his usual smile again before continuing on sprinting. His footsteps clapped against the stone road as he ran on, determined to reach the end of his route and, hopefully, a new martial arts teacher.

Until then, he would just have to keep on going.

Hopefully things back in the real world were turning out a lot smoother than his quest.

OOO

(A few minutes later)

(Back on Cooler's Ship)

On the ship's main bridge, in front of the main viewing window looking out into the depths of space, a rather odd looking black chair with a white hover jet at the bottom of it, could be seen floating several feet off the floor- with its one and only occupant staring intently out across the cosmos. With his back turned to the handful of men and women who were also on the viewing deck with him, tail hanging lazily over the edge of his seat, and his cheek resting against the knuckles of his right hand, the leader of the vessel and chief overseer of this entire sector of space kept a watchful eye on the horizon, all the while leaving an ear open to the chatter he could hear echoing behind him.

Watching a couple of _Attack Balls_ cruise by and towards an unknown destination, the intimidating alien's meditation was suddenly interrupted by the female voice of his father's former aid and current attendant.

"Dore and Myra have returned from their scouting mission to young Frieza's sector, Lord Cooler," the soft, confident voice of Berryblue filled the air as the purple-haired alien floated into view from the entrance. "They have brought with them the person responsible for activating the distress beacon."

Gaze remaining unbroken, the alien in the seat extended his left hand and waved it. "Very well. Bring them in."

The blue, levitating alien in the formal black and greet armor and robe, bowed her head to the young ruler. "As you wish, my lord." She then hovered about and beckoned the aforementioned group in with a nod.

A short few seconds later, the four members of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_ and the boy that they were escorting marched in, with the former group quickly getting to their knees and bowing low. This left Gohan standing upright for a moment, until Myra quickly hissed across at him and prompted him to do the same as them. Hastily, the young child in the tattered shorts ended up just bowing his upper body forward- keeping his eyes down so as to at least mimic what the adult warriors were doing.

"We have completed our objective, sire," Dore informed, keeping one arm set over his torso while the other fist remained pressed to the tiled floor. "We tracked down the location of the distress signal and investigated it, as you and Captain Salza ordered."

Following a few moments of tense silence, in which the four members of the squadron waited nervously for their lord's answer. It was only after he'd allowed his subordinate's words to resonate for an appropriate amount of time that the alien in the seat decided to turn around.

"Good. And who exactly was responsible for sending out that call for assistance?" the lord's deep, well-mannered voice spoke back, putting his subordinates at ease. "Surely not one of my brother's men."

Smiling when she sensed their ruler was in a good mood, Myra- along with her other squad members- craned their heads upward to see their boss staring back at them. "No, Lord Cooler. It was this young boy right here," she said, while at the same time gesturing towards the youngster bowing next to her. "A Saiyan child that we found alone and stranded on that planet."

"A Saiyan, huh?"

When Gohan slowly looked up to see who was addressing him, the child found to his surprise another alien sitting in the floating seat. However, unlike the other humanoid figures gathered around him, this extra-terrestrial being boasted an imposing presence and appearance. A tall, masculine figure with an incredibly long tail, covered in deep purple skin, and sporting armor-like carapaces on his chest, arms, and over his entire head. Beneath the purple gem plate that went up the center of his headpiece, the figure also had two red sclera around his eyes and went over his cheeks, with a small nose, purple lips, and red irises.

Based on the way everyone was bowing towards him, Gohan could tell that he was the leader of this fleet and everyone on board.

However, as soon as he got a good look at the figure and saw his eyes staring back at him, when his senses got a full flash of his spiritual presence, the boy felt his insides recoil and stomach tighten at how much power he felt radiating from the individual. The alien lord sitting in the floating chair, appearing both calm and poised, was emitting a ki signature so strong and with such overwhelming potency that it quite literally rattled the child to his core. For a moment, Gohan swore he felt his knees tremble and hands shake with fright.

The sheer breadth and magnitude of energy blasting him in the face was so great that it nearly bowled him over. But being the strong, spirited child that he was, with a pride that matched any trained fighter, Gohan was able to bite and hold his position. All the while his stunned expression slowly transformed into a serious glare, allowing him to face down the enormous ocean of power bearing down on him from above.

Myra- along with the other squadron members- noticed the sudden change in the child's expression, which in turn had the female officer glance across at him in momentary concern. But when she saw him remain where he was, holding his own before the presence of their ruler, the female Hera was slowly put at ease.

Cocking an eyebrow at the sight of the child standing amongst his men, the serious-looking Cooler narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "Hmm. I thought my brother wiped out most of the Saiyan race when he blew up their home planet. Looks like he missed a few." Including that one that got away to Earth. But that was a problem for his sibling- not him. Upon inspecting the child from a distance, the alien lord raised his head off of his hand and glanced down at the Hera amongst his group. "So… why exactly did you bring this little cretin back to my ship? Care to explain yourselves, Dore? Myra?"

Gulping nervously, the green alien with the thick mane of black hair stuttered, "W-Well… the thing is, sire-"

Standing up, the adolescent girl with orange hair smiled back at her leader. "My lord. When we saw the child bring down one of the remote planet's top predators and scanned his bio-signature afterwards, we discovered that he had an extraordinarily high battle power for his age. 13,000 to be exact. I deduced right then that there was more to his strength than meets the eye, and that with the right care and training, he would most likely become a fine and effective warrior in the future. That is why we brought him back to your ship, so that you could assess for yourself the true extent of his potential." She then placed a hand over her chest and bowed her head to her boss, who she noticed blink when she mentioned the child's power level. "I believe that given his heightened level of ability and natural instincts, this boy- Gohan- would make an excellent addition to your forces."

"Hmm? You think so?" Cooler breathed, turning his gaze back to the youngster with a bit more intrigue and interest than before. "Fascinating. I'll admit, it's incredibly rare to come across a sentient being- let alone a Saiyan- with an energy count exceeding the eight-thousand mark. Especially from a child so little." His curiosity actually prompted the alien to suddenly rise up from his chair and float out of it.

When the rest of the members of his squadron stood up and stepped aside to make some space, with Myra and Gohan remaining firmly in the center, the boy was able to see for himself the full height and scope of the alien overlord. As he suspected, when the lizard alien touched down on the floor, the demi-Saiyan saw that he stood at almost exactly the same height as his father, had three toes on his feet, and white carapace plates around his shins too. Since he moved closer as well and had chosen to exert some more of his energy, the child was able to get a better read of his power level.

It was completely off the charts. And worse still, Gohan could feel that what he was feeling at the surface was only a fraction of what he guessed was underneath.

"_How… can a living creature… possess so much energy?"_ the child thought as alarms and warning bells screamed inside his head, telling him to run for it. But the boy was resolute- choosing to hold his ground, remain calm, and see how things played out.

Besides, he knew that if he tried to escape now, not only would the four aliens surrounding him get in his way, but he was pretty sure that the main one- _their boss_\- would vaporize him on the spot.

Upon looking the child even closer and seeing the fire burning in his eyes despite his precarious position, the calm-looking Cooler cracked a rather intrigued smile. "This is turning out to be a rather auspicious day for me. You said your name was… Gohan, was it?" When he saw the hybrid nod, the alien tyrant chuckled. "Even without a scouter, I can tell through my trained eyes that this child has a tremendous amount of untapped power and potential… perhaps even exceeding that of my own. I wonder…" The man then glanced across at his guard captain, who he could see had stepped aside along with the others. "Tell me, Salza. How strong is Frieza's subordinate Zarbon?"

The blonde warrior blinked before bowing. "Uhh… I believe around 20,000? Why?"

Without another word, Cooler suddenly raised his finger and fired a sharp, pink blast, which shot right through Gohan's torso and into the floor. The child, having not expected such a sharp and sudden attack, stood frozen in place for several moments in shock before, with a gasp of pain, he collapsed to his knees before keeling over.

Myra and the other members of the squadron gaped in shock, while Berryblue floated nearby with an intrigued smile on her face.

Freaking out, the female Hera stepped towards the fallen Gohan, before looking back at her leader in disbelief. "L-Lord Cooler? Sire? W-Why did you-"

"Quiet," Cooler replied, lowering his arm and letting it hang at his side while looking down at the fallen child. "Just watch."

From there, the squadron and their leader stood, watched, and waited- looking down at the boy as a pool of red blood formed around him. After several seconds of remaining in place and seeing nothing happen, the scouter on every single alien present suddenly started to go off, alerting them all to a sudden rising power level.

While Salza and the others were initially distracted by the reading, the group surrounding the fallen, wounded boy unexpectedly saw a white mist start to waft off of his body as his fingers and feet started to twitch. A few short seconds later, Myra, Dore, Neiz, and Salza stepped back in shock when they saw Gohan slowly stand up.

Struggling at first, the child eventually managed to push himself onto one knee, before- with a mighty heave- he managed to struggle back to his feet. Cooler and everyone present then saw the gravely wounded child peer up and, through the mists of the white aura simmering off of him like heat and the bangs of his wild black hair, they saw an incredibly angry boy glare back at his attacker.

His face twisted in fury, his fangs bared in anger, and his eyes wide and pupils dilated, the feral-looking youngster gave a deep snarl as blood trickled out of the corners of his mouth and his abdominal wound. As he did, the mists blasting off of him intensified, until a full-on aura exploded around him and began sending a fierce, hot wind blasting across the room.

As all this was happening, Myra, seeing the numbers on her scouter rising at an alarming rate, could only gape when she saw the levels the boy was registering at now.

"H-His battle power… it's… twenty one thousand…" the girl stuttered.

"That's… that's even more than what he was before," Neiz exclaimed, watching the number continue to grow as the boy stood before them, hunched forward and growling with rage as he glared back at the man that'd attacked him. "This is crazy!"

Cooler, unfazed by the winds whipping at his face, grinned broadly when he saw the child snarling at him. "I knew it." As he watched the boy's energy billow around him, the alien could feel his excitement growing. _"This primal fury… his true nature… it's remarkable…"_

After a few seconds and hearing their scouters continue to beep, Dore balked when he noticed that the number on his screen was still rising. "Whoa, whoa. Hold on! Why isn't the counter stopping?!"

"Battle power 24,000… and climbing?!" Salza choked out, stepping away a bit when he saw the youngster give another burst of wind as his aura intensified, filling the room with a hot, white glow. "That can't be! How can this child… be hiding so much power inside of him?!"

Myra, quickly growing alarmed at the rate the child's vitals were going through the roof, stepped forward and extended a hand. "G-Gohan! Stop! Please!"

Snarling one last time as his eyes- his irises hollow and appearing as nothing but outlines in the whites of his gaze- stepped forward before leaping at Cooler with a roar. He took off with a blur and swung at the man with a clawed strike.

His attack and speed was impressive. But the moment he lifted off, the young emperor casually swung his tail up, whipped it in front of him, and smacked the child out of the air. The sound of a loud _**clap**_ filled the room as Gohan was knocked flying back, passing the four members of the Armored Squadron before slamming into the far wall. When he eventually dropped to the ground and landed on his face, his aura dissipated- leaving him lying unconscious on the ground.

And just like that, the show was over.

After Dore, Neiz, Myra and Salza gaped at the fallen child for several moments, they then turned back to their leader to see Cooler swing his tail back, with his smile remaining ever-present on his face.

"Have the child sent to the medical bay immediately," the alien tyrant said, glancing across at Salza to see his guard captain straighten up into attention. While Myra and Dore quickly rushed over to where Gohan was lying to collect him, Cooler addressed his right-hand man promptly on the matter. "As soon as he's healed up, I'll be sending him to you and your squad mates for training. I expect him to be well taken care of, taught, and in proper fighting form by the end of the month. Is that understood?"

Appearing incredibly stunned, Salza nodded and bowed affirmatively to the alien emperor. "Yes, sire. As you command."

Cooler then turned his attention to his attendant, who he saw float towards him with that all-knowing smile on her face. "Berryblue… I would like you to have a uniform made up for that boy as soon as possible. Have him assigned a bunk as well... preferably with Myra."

The purple-haired alien nodded. "Right away, my lord." She then looked up to see the tyrant step away and walk back over to the window, his hands moving behind his back and setting themselves there. All the while the members of his squadron quietly dismissed themselves, with a concerned and terrified Myra carrying Gohan straight to the medical bay just down the hall. "If you don't mind me asking, just what exactly do you have planned for that young Saiyan?"

Stopping before his reflection, the young Cooler chuckled as his tail waved behind him in delight. "My brother is a very proud, big-headed, yet paranoid person. He believed that one day a great warrior- a Super Saiyan- would one day rise up to overthrow him and destroy everything he'd built. It's a tale that has stuck out in his mind since the day father put him in control of their race's home world... and it was that very same legend that compelled him to wipe the Saiyans from the face of the universe- so that their prophecy would never come to pass." The alien's eyes then narrowed as a sinister smile crossed his mug. "My dear little brother feared the legend of the Super Saiyan… so I'm going to give him one."

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	7. Saiyan Saga - Dance the Dance

**Dragonball Z**

_**Alter Age**_

_Dance the Dance_

(A week later)

(Back on Earth)

In the past week, _Kami's Lookout_ had become the site of one of the most grueling and strenuous training camps in the history of the planet. Suspended high above the planet, at a level where very few men and women had ever reached without the assistance of machines, the floating palace where the Guardian of the Earth lived was currently playing host to several new and unexpected residents- a couple of which Kami never thought he'd ever see sharing the same space in his lifetime.

Whether this was a blessing or a curse remained to be seen. But what the old manager of the planet knew above all shadow of a doubt was that every single one of the people that'd gathered here, were all here for a common purpose- to train their hearts out in preparation for the coming threat that was the Saiyans.

Though he'd had some doubts over the truth behind Raditz's completely farfetched story, after telepathically consulting with the overseer of their galaxy, the venerable and respected King Kai, the elder's fears were quickly confirmed when the martial arts master informed him of the two enormous power signatures heading their way from the other side of the quadrant. Hearing this directly from one of the most prominent figures in the spirit world, was more than enough to convince Kami that he needed to get all of Earth's fighters as ready as he could for the battle to come.

Because if they weren't strong enough within less than a year's time, than they could kiss this entire world goodbye.

And thus, the long period of training for the Dragon Team began.

With the help of Mr. Popo and Bulma, Piccolo and Kami were able to assemble every single one of Goku's friends and bring them up to the _Lookout_. While Tien, Chiaotzu, Yamcha and Krillin weren't exactly comfortable with seeing their friend's arch rival and evil brother on the platform, after hearing from Kami the full extent of the situation and the gravity of what was to come, the four men immediately volunteered to take part in the guardian's training regimen, which he administered post-haste.

Upon going through the opening trials in the _Pendulum Room_, in which the four human Z-warriors were given a horrifying taste of what fighting against the Saiyans would be like in the form of a magical simulation, they then began their training in earnest. However, it wasn't just the males that were planning on going through the next few months working their asses off.

At her insistence, Launch also asked the guardian of the planet to whip her into shape in preparation for the Saiyans' arrival- having tagged along with Krillin up to _Kami's Lookout_ to go through the same martial arts exercises as her fellow companions. Due to his connection to the group, Yajirobi also ended up becoming enlisted into the team's ranks to assist with their training. Though Tien and Piccolo had their doubts about the pair's effectiveness as frontline fighters, after due consideration they eventually gave in.

Based on what Raditz described about his comrades and how they were much more powerful than him, they were going to need all the help they could get to stop them.

And thus, all of their efforts led them to today. On this morning, while Launch was going through multiple sets of pushups, squats, and laps around the garden to get used to the weighted training gear given to her by the revered Kami, the boys were busy sparring with each other out in the open.

Tien and Krillin could be found duking it out with each other in front of the trees, their bodies held down by the same blue shirts, boots and wrist bands that Goku had used for his past training under the planet's guardian. Starting off strong, the two bald fighters went all out, their muscles training against the added masses as they lashed out at each other with various combinations of punches and kicks. As expected, their techniques were superb- but they had a long way to go yet before they could even stand up to the monsters heading their way.

Yamcha on the other hand was sparring with Yajirobi- the former mercenary trading blows with the shorter, more rotund fighter, who was currently proving himself to be as good a match as he was. The scar-faced warrior grunted as he blocked a series of heavy punches from the sword-wielding glutton, who managed to dart around him with surprising finesse while trying to lay in some blows.

Chiaotzu meanwhile was running laps around the entire lookout, working on getting used to the physical strain of having the wear the same weighted clothing as everybody else.

Overall, their training was off to a great start.

That was based solely on Kami and Mr. Popo's point of view. As for Piccolo though, who was currently standing alongside the pair, the green demon king's son was in a rather unsettled mood.

"While I admire their commitment, I still have my doubts over whether or not these fools will have what it takes to be able to fight those Saiyans when they arrive," the Namekian said in a low, gruff and undoubtedly concerned voice. "As they are now, they wouldn't even be able to make me break a sweat."

Kami, glancing across at his darker counterpart, smiled. "Have faith in them, Piccolo. Though they may not look it as they are now, give them a few months and I'm sure even they'll be able to surprise you."

"Hmph," the caped warrior grunted while lowering his head in an unamused manner. "If you say so. Though I'm honestly not expecting much. To me, they're still mediocre at best." He then glanced behind him and towards one of the floating palace's pillars, where he saw their other guest standing underneath the shade. "And what about him?"

When Kami and Mr. Popo looked across the stretch of platform, they spotted the tall, miserable looking form of Raditz leaning against the column of marble. While it didn't look like he was doing anything, the Saiyan invader was currently watching the group very closely- observing the way that they were training and honing their skills under the guidance of this planet's would-be protectorate.

Upon seeing the armored man was keeping his distance from the rest of the team, Kami narrowed his eyes momentarily before then letting out a sigh. "If you want my advice… give him some time. After what he told us about what happened to him- failing his mission, losing his brother, and having his friends cast him out of their circle- I'm sure he's got a lot going through his mind." The Namekian then looked away and back towards where Krillin and Tien were sparring. Observing the latter deliver a crushing claw blow to the shorter warrior's torso, he then smiled when he saw Goku's best friend quickly catch his breath, before dashing in with a flurry of fierce blows. "Even the most stubborn of brutes have a soft spot to them."

Not exactly liking what his opposite was implying with that statement, Piccolo felt his jaw tighten but wisely held his tongue. Instead, he simply walked away from where the guardian and his attendant were standing, and decided to take up a spot near the garden. From there, the Namekian sat down, crossed his legs, and began to meditate in silence- allowing the drone of the humans training nearby to become white noise in the back of his head.

During which time, Raditz- who had been lost in thought and vaguely paying attention to what all of his brother's friends were doing- gave a rather indignant grunt and turned away. _"As much as I hate to rely on these earthlings, my brother apparently trusted them enough to make them his companions."_ Though the Saiyan in him scorned at the idea that he even came to these pests seeking their assistance in the first place, the rational, survival-smart side of him told the warrior that this was his best and only option.

He practically had nothing going for him. No allies, no friends, no means of calling for help, and the only comrades he ever had had turned their backs on him. What's more, based on his last communication with his former Saiyan companions, both Vegeta and Nappa sounded like they were intentionally going to come after him when they arrived on Earth- probably as a side squeeze before going after their real prize. So, seeing as how running wasn't an option and fighting alone was tantamount to suicide, the only thing the alien mercenary had left was turn to the people he once viewed as enemies for help.

The whole thing irked and frustrated him to no end, about as much as his own powerlessness. However, after arguing with himself for several moments and trying to justify his decision, the irate mid-class Saiyan decided to shut off his brain and return to standing around and looking mean.

Though he planned on training sometime soon, he just wasn't in the mood for it right now, and simply resigned to his post as unwilling sentry.

Of course, while he was mulling over the thought of asking the Z-fighters to join in later onwards- much to his scorn and reluctance- the man suddenly caught sight of Launch doing one of her scheduled laps around the perimeter of _Kami's Lookout_. With Chiaotzu running far in front of her and keeping a pretty decent lead, the blonde woman in the short-shorts, training boots, gi top and singlet, stopped jogging after the shorter martial artist and set her hands on her knees.

Panting heavily from exhaustion, the mercenary female waited for a minute as she caught her breath, all the while cursing at herself for her weakness and telling her body to get it together. Since this was only the start of their training, she was determined to catch up and begin learning some martial arts with the others.

Raditz, for a brief moment of unexpected clarity, found the woman's attitude to be quite intriguing and her appearance quite eye-catching. The warrior tilted his head at the earthling he remembered shooting at him on the island and focused his gaze on her when he watched the woman in the hot pants and revealing tank top stretch her back and expose herself to the sun. The sight of her midriff being exposed and her chest puffing out had the man gape inwardly, as it'd been a while since he'd set his eyes on an attractive female with physical attributes similar to a Saiyan's for quite some time.

After flexing her hips and stretching her arms, Launch felt a set of eyes on her and looked across the platform. When she saw Raditz staring at her from his pillar, the surprised female blinked a couple of times before frowning. She then lifted her hand, pointed two fingers at her eyes and then pointed them at him, saying 'I'm watching you' through those gestures while simultaneously surprising the Saiyan at the fierce glare she shot his way.

Upon making her intentions clear, the blond went back to running, determined to catch up to Chiaotzu.

The brief exchange had Raditz stare after the woman as she ran, with the mid-class warrior eventually catching himself in the moment and quickly shaking himself out of his daze.

"_What the heck was all that about?"_ the Saiyan thought in alarm.

And why the hell did his face feel a little flushed?

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Somewhere in deep space)

This would mark the third time the young Gohan could remember waking up from a very deep and surprisingly enjoyable sleep, and finding himself in a place that he did not recognize. It also didn't coincide with any of the memories he had of where he was prior to blacking out, which was what gave the child a reason for pause when he found himself staring up at a white roof and a warm lights beating down on him. When his vision cleared and he turned his attention to the rest of the room surrounding him, the child saw he was in a very small bedroom- with only two beds, both of which were situated on top of inbuilt footlockers beneath, two doors, and a desk situated beside a small viewing window, giving him a perfect view of the cosmos beyond.

It was quite a captivating sight, no doubt. Not to mention there was also the familiar sound of a shower running nearby. The pitter-patter of water striking the tiles echoing throughout the room made the boy think that someone was using a washroom in a room over.

Sitting up so that he could get a better look at his surroundings, Gohan used the next few seconds glancing about, only to then look down when he realized he was no longer wearing a shirt or pants. When the covers of his bed slipped down, the child saw he was only clad in a pair of purple, spandex boxers, which made him wonder how he got changed into them in the first place. He didn't put these on himself.

Well, the answer to that question came a few moments later, when the sound of running water stopped, and the sliding door beside the bunk across from him slid open. The boy then blinked when he saw, strolling out of the connected bathroom, he saw a practically naked Myra come walking out.

Using a towel to dry off her body and face, the teal-skinned beauty with short, messy orange hair cut short on one side and curvaceous body, sighed as a cloud of steam billowed around her and droplets of water cascaded over her tantalizing flesh. When she stopped at the entrance, the nude fighter blinked when she noticed Gohan staring across at her with wide-eyes, which gave her a rather long moment of pause. Upon seeing the boy gaping at her, the Hera smiled warmly in his direction.

"Ah. You're awake. And just when I was starting to think that you would never wake up," Myra remarked, not even bothering to cover up her nakedness as she casually slung the tower around her neck and held onto the two ends over the full globes of her ample bosom. Walking across the room as she slowly dried off, the hot adolescent approached her bunk on the other side of the small chamber and stood beside it, all the while being stared at by the utterly bewildered half-Saiyan child. "Considering you got hit by Cooler-sama's killing blow and lived, I'm actually surprised that you're even conscious now. But I guess you're a hell of a lot tougher than you look."

As Gohan watched Myra casually dry herself off in front of him, bending over in a rather showy manner, the boy then tore his gaze away from the teenager and started looking around the room curiously again. "Umm… where… am I right now?"

Myra beamed across at the youngster. "You're in my bedroom, currently onboard Cooler-sama's ship and main base of operations." Seeing the hybrid look back at her, the orange-haired female turned and placed her hands on her tight waist, at the same time cocking her hip to the side while her towel dangled from her right hand. "While you were floating around inside a healing pod, Berryblue was kind enough to assign you to my quarters and have me registered as your personal handler. That means from now on, _I'm_ in charge of keeping an eye on you and showing you the ropes around here."

This drew a surprised blink from Gohan. "Wait. So… does that mean that I'm-?"

"Yep," Myra nodded while grinning broadly. "Congratulations, cutie. You're now a member of the big and powerful _Cooler Force_. Looks like you managed to make the cut." She then winked at him teasingly while flashing the boy her… well… _everything_. It actually made the kid blush a little in embarrassment, as not even his mother had been so liberal when she bathed with him.

After looking down at the covers and tearing his gaze away from the beauty across from him, Gohan listened as the girl finished drying herself off, before picking up one of the clothes she had folded on top of her mattress. Slipping into the purple, spandex thong-style bloomer, the hybrid then considered the news he'd been given, before then speaking up.

"Why did… your emperor-… why did Lord Cooler shoot me?" the boy asked, his voice slightly weak as he recalled what'd happened before he'd lost consciousness. His question had Myra stop as she was about to put on her sports bra, and drew the girl's attention to him. "Did he… did he not like me when he saw me? Was I dangerous? Why did he try to kill me?"

Myra, sensing the boy's immediate confusion, dropped her top and walked over to him. Still only clad in a pair of underwear, the confident Hera sat down on the bed beside the youngster, turned to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, drawing his confused gaze to her.

"He didn't try to kill you, Gohan-kun," the warm words of Myra answered, her expression fond and full of sincerity as she stared at the boy sitting beside her. "I know it may have looked like he tried to. But trust me, he didn't."

The boy looked into the girl's eyes, searchingly. "But then… why?"

In response, the Hera's gaze deepened. "Lord Cooler merely wanted to test your powers and see if there was more to them than what was already on the surface." She then squeezed his shoulder in a clear gesture of support and comfort. "You may not fully realize this yet, but you have an enormous amount of potential hidden inside of you- and a power that you've probably only ever glimpsed during moments of great emotional stress. In fact, there's so much energy lying dormant inside your body that not only were Captain Salza and the others impressed, but so was Cooler-sama. The fact that he kept you alive shows just how potent your latent abilities actually are… and he has given me and my team the task of helping you to master your gifts, hone your skills, and bring your true strength into the light."

Blinking as he stared back at the gorgeous girl smiling at him, the child felt his heart quiver and a pleasant warmth flood through his body. Looking into the kindly gaze of the female warrior, the child felt the comfort of her compassion being draped over him, and sensed nothing but honesty in her voice. All of his instincts, from his baser ones to his own logic, told him that Myra meant every word she was saying to him, which helped to ease his knotted nerves.

In a matter of moments, relief and assurance took over his body, which drew a long sigh from the child. Seconds later, Gohan nodded, at the same time mustering a small smile.

"Do you… really think I have _that_ _much_ in me?" he asked in a low voice, completely disregarding the fact the girl was topless and he was only in a pair of underwear.

Despite the pair's respective strengths and powers, the fact that they were both in this room together and in such an embarrassing state of undress, put both of them on the same level as each other- in which they were able to show the most genuine and vulnerable sides of their characters.

Bearing everything to the boy, who was initially confused and worried beyond measure, Myra nodded to him in respect. "Of course. Well… _I_ certainly think so. And if I do, then that means you should as well. Have a little more faith in your own abilities. If you make it your mission to rise above the limits that you've set for yourself and go beyond them, there's no telling what you can accomplish." Smiling when she saw Gohan visibly cheer up, the girl giggled, removed her hand, and playfully poked him in the forehead. "Now come on. Stop ogling me and let's get you dressed up. I'll show you around your new home."

OOO

And that's exactly what Myra did.

As soon as she got dressed back into her team's signature armor and purple spandex, the adolescent warrior then showed Gohan his uniform, which he had stored away inside his footlocker and hanging on the rack beside his bunk. Much to the child's delight, the outfit that was provided for him was exactly the same as the Hera's. However, instead of a pair of bloomers, the boy was given a pair of long pants and a long-sleeved top.

Upon checking himself out in the mirror and giggling at the cool, warrior's look he was now sporting, Myra then proceeded to escort the kid around the interior of Cooler's ship.

Contrary to what could be seen on the outside, the saucer that served as the headquarters for the emperor's empire was quite vast. While there was a wide corridor that circled the entire inside of the ship, providing a highway for troops and small cargo transports, there were multiple other halls crisscrossing the bowls of the vessel. Some junctions led to the soldier's living quarters, others led to the officer's quarters, while many others led to the cargo holds and armories.

The more essential areas, including the mess rooms, the bars, the restrooms, and the medical bays were made much more obvious- as indicated by the signs that Myra was able to point out to their newest recruit. Gohan made sure to record the locations of the lunch room and the restrooms in his head, and which alien words to look out for.

He learned the locations of other areas as well, including the communications room, the computer room, the various viewing decks, Berryblue's and Cooler's rooms, and the game and recreation rooms. It was then, after learning the locations and the signs for all of these places around the vessel, Myra then showed Gohan the last place on the saucer.

_The vessel's custom designed training room_.

Situated behind the shuttle and pod hangar, there sat a specially made, reinforced, dome-shaped white room, covered in energy absorbing tiles, and fitted with an environmental simulator that generated a constant gravity setting at thirty times above normal- which could also be changed via the control panels provided. This place was specifically built and designed to be used by the soldiers of Cooler's elite forces, particularly the members of the _Armored Squadron_, most of whom were already in the room right now and putting its multiple features to good use.

With their armors and scouters stored away inside the locker room just outside of the room's main entrance, Salza, Dore and Neiz were all going through their usual, personal training regimens. While the Captain was busy practicing with his signature energy blade- cutting down energy balls being fired at him from three spherical drones orbiting around him- the amphibian member of the group was floating in the air above the chamber with a couple of massive weight bands strapped to his arms, practicing a series of vigorous striking combos, and the green wrestler was currently on the bench press, which was set up close to the training room's entrance alongside a handful of other gym equipment.

There were also a couple of other Cooler soldiers accompanying the squad- two female, humanoid aliens with red and green skin tones working out at the dumbbells, and a male, blue spotted alien with a beak doing pushups on an empty floor space. Obviously these three warriors were high ranking officers and among some of the strongest in the military, as they were able to exercise in an environment with a gravity setting exceeding thirty times the normal limit.

Growling through bared teeth and sweating out a river, the large, bulky form of Dore- wearing only his purple hot pants, white boots, and an incredibly tight purple tank top- was currently in the process of smashing out a thousand reps on the bench press, with weights measuring one ton on each block. Coupled with the increased gravity field filling the room, it made his exercise with the load a much heavier burden to bare.

In truth, the man was loving every second of it.

"Nine-ninety seven… RAAAGH!" Dore growled out, his muscles bulging and throbbing in agony as he lowered the bar and pushed it back up. "Nine-ninety eight! GRAAAH! Nine-ninety nine! HRAAAAGH!" Lowering it down to his chest and taking in several deep gulps of air, the green-skinned titan then gave one last, shaky heave and pushed the metal bar all the way back to the top. "ONE THOUSAND!" A loud clang then rang out when the man locked the bar on the handles and sat up, taking a deep breath before giving out an adrenaline-filled war cry. "WOOOO! OH YEAH! That's what I'm talkin' about!"

Neiz, throwing out a dozen blurred jabs as he floated in place, became distracted by his comrade's scream and glared down at him. "Damn it, Dore! I'm trying to concentrate! Could you please be a little quieter when you work out?!" When he saw his companion stand up and pace around the foot of his bench, the Zalt-seijin in the purple spandex shorts and vest sighed. "Ugh. I guess not."

"YEEAAAAH! Look at how huge I am! Rrrrrggghhh!" Dore growled, swinging his arms inwards and flexing hard. With his chest and arms swelling as he clenched his fists tightly, the sweaty, but clearly pumped up Beppa-seijin then straightened up and set his hands on his hips. "Mmm… oh yeah! No one can ever top these bad boys!" He then looked across at the two female aliens working out at the dumbbell table and grinned at them, which in turn earned him a few giggles from the pair.

Floating in place as he looked down at his companion, Neiz couldn't help but frown at Dore as he continued doing his 'strong man' poses. "Friend. Maybe you should lay off the juice for a little while. I think it's starting to get to your head."

"Ha! As if!" Dore laughed, at the same time smirking up at his teammate. "I'll have you know that this body is one-hundred percent home grown and all natural!" He then brought both hands up and flashed his biceps again, letting his broad pecks do a little dance as well. "All I'm doing is improving upon perfection."

Neiz then shot him a deadpanned look as he watched his friend continue flexing. "Umm… okay. Whatever you say." His expression showcased how put-off he was at his friend's display. _"Seriously. Is there anyone on this ship filled with more hot air than him?"_ He then looked across at their squadron captain, who he saw cut down the last of the energy balls fired at him from the drones.

Finishing his last defensive cut with a flourish, the man then struck a finishing pose as the robots orbiting him stopped and shutdown. The moment the alarm rang- signaling the end of his round- Salza deactivated his arm's energy blade, gasped dramatically, before then striking an Arabesque pose while fanning one hand across his face.

"Ah… superb," Salza exclaimed, sweat trickling down his face in a very flattering manner as his hair fanned around him. It was almost like the lighting of the room was accentuating all of his finger features as he whispered sweet praises to himself. "My friend, your form is absolutely magnificent today. No wonder you can't help falling in love with yourself."

Groaning inwardly, an observing Neiz shook his head. _"I stand corrected."_

Why was it that despite having the strangest appearance as well as the freakiest abilities, out of all the male members of his team he was the most normal of them? Honestly, there wasn't really any point in arguing that fact. His captain was a narcissistic pretty boy and his best friend was a full-blown gym junkie- not to mention the loudest when it came to his performances. Though he liked to have fun every once in a while, at least he knew never to get carried away.

While Neiz was floating there and looking as though he was going to pass out from embarrassment, the door to the gym's entrance from the locker room suddenly opened. The loud hiss from the hatch sliding open caused the members of the _Armored Squadron_ to turn to see who'd just arrived, with the trio immediately spotting Myra, accompanied by the Cooler Force's newest recruit.

The moment he saw the duo appear, a big grin crossed Dore's sweat-covered face. "Well, well, well. Look who decided to join us! Did you have a good sleep, you two?"

"More or less," Myra chuckled, having removed her chest armor in the changing cubicle to reveal the purple spandex bloomers and tight tank top exposing her midriff that she wore underneath the flexible vest. "Spiky was the one who was sleeping for the past week. I was just keeping an eye on him and finishing up the reports from my last missions." After stepping over the threshold, she then moved to the side and turned to the boy in question, who was currently standing behind the archway and glancing about the new room in front of him.

Having also taken off his set of armor, leaving him in only his spandex pants, top and boots, Gohan took a moment to survey his new environment. Upon seeing the group of aliens waiting beyond the doorway, particularly the members of her squad, the curious half-Saiyan child then decided to step through. Almost immediately after crossing the line dividing the room and the doorway, the child gave a yelp when his body was immediately subjected to an overpowering force, which promptly yanked him to the ground.

Seeing the child drop to his hands and knees and stare down at the ground in alarm, drew a laugh from an observing Myra, as she quickly realized what must've happened to him. "Oh yeah. Watch that first step, Gohan-kun. The gravity is thirty times greater in here than it is throughout the rest of the ship. So you're going to have to be extra careful when stepping through."

Blinking as he moved his hand up and down off the floor a couple of times, Gohan smiled back at the Hera and nodded, before then promptly standing up. Struggling momentarily as his muscles strained against the extra pounds of force being exerted upon him, the spiky haired youngster then focused his gaze on the room in front of him. Around this point, the male members of the squadron had stopped what they were doing, and had come over to make their introductions.

Neiz, touching down beside Dore and Salza when they stopped in front of the young duo, set a hand on his hip and grinned. "So this is the little spitfire who's going to be joining our elite team, huh?"

"I guess that bumps our total number up to five now," Dore asked, crossing his arms and glancing over at their team leader. "Just like the _Ginyu Force_. We finally have a full house."

"Hmph. It's about time we got a fifth member for our squadron. And after all that time we spent searching out candidates as well," Salza remarked, only to frown a moment later as he looked down at the youngster looking inquisitively between three of them. "Though to be honest, I wasn't expecting a child to join our ranks… and a Saiyan child no less."

Myra gave her captain a smile and shrugged. "What's wrong with having a kid on our team?"

"Well, for one, it's highly unorthodox- not to mention troublesome," the man responded gruffly, at the same time shooting a rather displeased look down at the boy in question. "Though you may not have realized this yet, Myra- since you're still new to the squadron- but we're not babysitters. We're warriors- elite soldiers tasked with enforcing and protecting all of the planets and states under Cooler-sama's domain. Our roles and responsibilities as guardians stretch across entire star systems, in which we not only carry the banner of our great emperor, but also act as his sword of justice. Throwing a brat into the mix only makes things more challenging for us."

Noticing the frown that came upon Gohan's face, the Hera-seijin stepped forward to defend him against their captain's negative mood. "Hey. Go easy on him, would you." She then looked down at the youngster and gently placed a hand on top of his head. "Yeah. Sure. He may not seem like much on first glance, but Gohan here is incredibly smart and talented. Both of those traits have got to count for something, right?"

Still acting incredibly salty, Salza grunted. "Sure. He's talented. But he's also incredibly wild and unrefined. On top of that, he doesn't know a single thing about our group's routines and attack formations. His presence throws our entire dynamic out of order," the captain grumbled, before then crossing his arms and looking away with a huff. "And after all those hours we spent working on our group battle poses. Now that he's being assigned to our unit, we'll have to start relearning the order all over again." That last comment he whispered made the rest of his argument seem like the complaints of a pouting child, which in turn caused Myra and Neiz to roll their eyes.

"Is that what you're so worried about, Salza?" the Zalt-seijin asked. "Our pre-battle dance choreographies?" The look that came over their captain's face quickly confirmed their suspicions.

"Ahh, quit your whining, sir," Dore exclaimed loudly, at the same time reaching over and clapping the man on the shoulder. "It's not the end of the world. We have plenty of time to work on new battle poses and battle formations."

"And I'm sure that with enough hard work and training, Gohan-kun will fit right in with the rest of us. Just you watch," Myra assured, at the same time grinning and gesturing between them. "Besides, if you take a close look at us now, you can see that our group's height arrangement has been evened out."

When the Hera noted this, Salza saw that she was in fact right. If you were to line up all of the members of the group from the tallest to shortest, Neiz would be first, Dore would be second, Myra third, Salza fourth, and then Gohan last. This meant that not only was the captain no longer viewed as the shortest member of their troop, but they could also pull off the five-person-line-up without any difficulties.

Upon being made aware of this fact, Salza then stuck his chest out, smirked, and nodded. "Well… I guess that's one good thing I can take away from this." With smiles appearing over the rest of the group's faces, the captain then looked down at the child once more. "Okay then. So be it. I'll go along with his inclusion without a fuss." He then nodded towards said youngster. "If I'm remembering this right, your name was _Gohan_, was it?"

Realizing he was finally being addressed, the hybrid straightened up. "Uhh. Um. Yes. Yes, sir, it is."

Grinning broadly, the blond, pretty boy captain of the squadron then extended his hand towards the child in a graceful manner. "Since you're new to the _Cooler Force_, as well as to the concept of a fully functioning, intergalactic military, allow us to give you a proper, _formal_ introduction."

While Gohan looked back at the man in utter confusion, the hybrid suddenly saw Salza, Dore, Neiz and Myra jump away from him, before promptly coming together and forming a tidy, shoulder-to-shoulder row in front of the youngster. At first not knowing what the heck was going on, as all four warriors had turned their backs on him, the half-Saiyan child was then given his answer moments later when, starting from the left, each and every individual making up the _Cooler's Armored Squadron_ began reintroducing themselves to him- with gusto.

The sight of the group standing in the center of the room and the sound of epic, heroic music suddenly starting to play through the gym's speakers- courtesy of Salza- actually caused the other three soldiers who were exercising on the equipment nearby to stop and stare at the troop.

While his companions stood with their fists on their hips- spinning around and bringing both hands over to one side like a preying mantis, the amphibian Neiz threw several sharp, snake-like jabs through the air. "All rebels, beware! My attacks strike with the force of justice and the speed of lightning!" Upon which he then swung both arms out sharply, before bringing them in and lunging to the side with both hands crossed horizontally over his chest. "The fastest fighter in the cosmos! Neiz, _the Swift_!"

Turning around and stomping both feet out that it caused the ground to tremble, Dore threw a sharp jab through the air, swung both his arms back, before then thrusting his two hands out while pointing his index fingers skywards. "HA! No fortress or army shall resist my might! My fists bend steel and smash evil's light!" He then dropped to one knee and stuck both fists out, his right arm locking beside him, while his left arm was locked in front. "I am Dore, _The Strong_!"

Thrusting her right palm in front of her when she spun around and then forming it into a fist, Myra then pulled it back and struck a defensive pose with her elbows fanned, and her left hand open flat over her right knuckles. "Behold, the beauty of righteousness!" She then swung her right leg through the air in a reverse heel kick, flicking it outwards before then straightening up her posture. "The shining warrior of truth and the defender of the weak!" Locking her left fist at her side, while sticking her right fist straight up into the air, the beguiling adolescent struck a very elegant pose before her roommate. "Myra, _the Fair_!"

And finally, with a twirl and a swift palm strike of his own, Salza finished off with a grand display of grace and poise befitting his position as leader. "The sword of virtue- who attacks with conviction and integrity with every thrust!" Forming a fist with his extended hand and then drawing it back like Myra had done, the captain of the team then sprang into the air, dropped to one knee with his other hand extended, before then swiftly rising back up and swinging both arms out into a tiger stance. "My fist shall deliver justice to all who oppose us! I am Salza, _the Noble_!" With his entire team holding their signature stances for a couple of seconds, the captain then finished off with a flourish and struck the sky with his fist. "Together, we shall vanquish the veil of darkness that threatens our universe!"

With a loud stomp, all four warriors synchronized their movements, all of them swinging their arms about and thrusting a hand forward, before concluding their formation with a final pose.

"_**We are- Cooler's Armored Squadron!"**_

A loud bang filled the chamber when a spotlight suddenly lit up on all four warriors in the center of the room, all of whom finished their dance with four identical fighting stances- their arms and hands pointing in the direction where their armor's shoulder accents would be, and their legs locked in a sideways lunge.

Then, after the music finished with an epic, heroic crescendo, silence fell.

After a minute passed, during which Gohan spent the entire time gaping at the group's spectacular introduction, the child then had his attention drawn to the side when the sound of clapping began echoing all around. When he looked towards the gym equipment positioned near the entrance, he saw the two female soldiers and the one male alien all applauding the squad for their performance- their faces alight and eyes practically shimmering with awe.

The clearly excited girls were practically bubbling with joy. "Did you see that?! That was the _Armored Squadron's_ famous battle dance!" the red-skinned female squealed excitedly. "That was amazing!"

"Look at how cool and awesome they all look!" the other girl shouted, causing the four posing members of the Special Forces troop to smile and nod their heads in approval. "No wonder they're considered Cooler-sama's elite!"

"Bravo! Bravo!" the blue male alien shouted, his beak twisted upwards into a big grin.

While the four men and one woman bowed graciously to their comrades in arms- who continued to clap and whistle to them- Myra decided to approach their newest recruit and smiled down at him.

"So… what did you think?" the Hera-seijin asked, placing her hands on her thin waist and watching Gohan shake himself out of his daze.

Gulping nervously, the four-year-old stuttered for a moment. "Umm. Th-That was… that was-" At first struggling to find the right words and worrying Myra for a moment that he might be having second thoughts, the child's expression suddenly became one of complete joy, as he then raised his fists and shouted, "That was awesome!"

Sure, it was corny as hell and completely over the top, but it just looked like so much fun to the boy. In some strange way, the entire dance routine kind of struck a chord with his inner, adventurous, superhero side- a side he never truly thought he had in him before. Whatever the sensation was, Gohan knew that he wanted to try out what these guys had done and join in with them.

Myra, giggling at the young man's cheerful remark, then stuck her ample chest out and spoke in a more confident voice. "I'm glad to hear that. So… now that we've properly welcomed you into our ranks as the rookie, it's time that you found out what's going to be happening around here." The Hera then reached up and pointed at herself. "From this point forward, the four of us are going to start training you to become a proper, functioning, fully-fledged member of the _Cooler Force_. And since the emperor has only given us a month to get you up to speed, we're going to be going all in from day one."

Practically jumping on the inside at this point, the tiny little Saiyan hopped on his toes while grinning up at the orange haired beauty. "What am I going to be learning, onēsan?"

It was at that point that Dore decided to chime in, coughing into his hand while stepping up beside the smaller Myra. "Well, kiddo, for starters we're going to be brushing you up on your martial arts techniques, physical training, and energy control. My friends and I will be working together to help you to get a grasp on your powers and fully realize your potential." The green man then pointed a thumb at himself and grinned. "As for individual training sessions, I'm going to be showing you some of my awesome wrestling moves… as well as teach you the secrets of how to get big!" He then emphasized this by swinging his arms down and tensing up his whole upper body. "Rrrrgggh! Like me!"

At that moment, Neiz chimed in by raising his hand. "And I'll teach you how to change the element of your energy and shape it to whatever you want. Whether it's zapping people for pranks or stunning them." He emphasized this by extending both hands and letting off a discharge of pink electricity, which suddenly shot between his palms.

"And as for me, I'm going to teach you the beautiful and refined art of chivalrous combat!" Salza spoke up, the captain moving forward, clicking his heels together and raising his hand, from which he produced his signature, purple energy blade. As the sword around his hand hummed as he raised it to a more elevated position, the blond leader grinned broadly. "The art of the dance is an essential part of the _Armored Squadron_. Knowing its various intricacies teaches you grace, poise, and control above all else. So aside from being your captain, I'm also going to be your _dance_ instructor."

Seeing Salza strike a pose put a grin on the cheerful Gohan's face, who then looked to the side when he saw Myra's stomach right next to him. Seeing her squat down next to him, the boy then heard the Hera whisper in his ear.

"And while these meatheads are teaching you all of that useless stuff, during our free time I'll take you down to the planet and give you some real fighting lessons. I'll also teach you more about the universe and its cultures, so that you can function and interact with people on different planets," Myra said, grinning at the child while her three teammates continued showing off and striking poses in a very ham-like display in the background. "Does that sound good to you?"

Upon processing all of this, Gohan nodded his head enthusiastically. "Yeah, Yeah! So… when can we start?"

Hearing this, Dore laughed and stepped forward. "When? I'll tell you when, kid! Right now! I call dibs on training him first!" While Salza and Neiz groaned, as they wanted to be the ones to take the kid for his first run, the bulky warrior then took the child by the shoulder and led him to the middle of the room. Once they were there- and the rest of the squadron took up position on the sidelines- the tough Beppa-seijin then knelt down next to the kid and smiled. "Okay, runt. Here's the deal. Since you're going to be working with us, we're going to have to get you properly motivated and fired up for the long hours of training ahead. Your spirit needs polishing and your attitude towards battle needs to be sharpened."

"Attitude?" Gohan remarked, not quite getting what Dore was telling him.

"It means you can't just growl and bare your teeth at people like some wild beast every time you want to brawl. Though it works well for animals, it might not work against someone who is more dainty and ladylike, like Salza," Dore said, at the same time shooting a look across at his team captain. When he saw the blond Brench-seijin give him the middle finger in response, the green man snickered. "I'm going to take that beastly nature of yours and transform it into your greatest weapon. We'll start with five-thousand delinquent squats!"

"Uhh? Five-thousand what?" Gohan asked, slightly taken aback at that word.

"Delinquent squats! Tough guy lunges! Bad boy sits! Bad ass crabwalks! Whatever the hell you want to call them!" Dore shouted, standing up against, shaking his body loose, before then taking a step back. "They're like this. Watch." With a straight back, he then squatted straight down with his heels firmly on the floor, put his chin up, and glared across the room with an intimidating scowl. Whole Gohan tilted his head at the strange look the man had on his face, the Beppa then suddenly shouted. **"Fuck you lookin' at, asshole?!"**

His voice practically bounced off of every wall and had Gohan cringe a little. When the child looked back, he saw Dore stand up and look at him, his chin still raised and expression firm.

"Well? Get to it! Five-thousand delinquent squats!"

Startled at the aggressive tone the man was using, Gohan quickly squatted down. "R-Right. Okay."

"No bad-ass would sit like that! Back straight!" Dore shouted, causing the boy's hair to bristle and posture to correct.

"Right!"

"Spread your legs wider! Like you're going to take a dump!"

"Right!"

"Okay! Now stare!"

Gohan then gritted his teeth and glared, all the while being watched by a thoroughly amused Neiz and Myra, while Salza was just shaking his head.

"That's more like it! I'll do them with you!" Dore yelled, getting down into a squat position alongside the kid and mimicking his posture. "You gotta show how manly you are! Assert your dominance! Let the enemy know whose boss! Now practice the lines!"

"Y-Yes, sir!" Gohan shouted.

"Fuck you lookin' at, asshole!" Dore yelled, his jaw stiff and elbows digging into his thighs. "Say it!"

"F-F-Fack you looking at, asshole!" the boy repeated.

"Wrong! It's fuck! Not fack! This isn't a Grapa restaurant where you're ordering takeout!" Dore shouted back, standing up and prompting Gohan to do the same. He then squatted back down again. "Again! LOUDER!"

Gohan then took a deep breath and yelled, "FUCK YOU LOOKIN' AT, ASSHOLE?!"

"That's it!" Dore shouted, standing up with the kid and then squatting again. "Three! YOU'RE MESSING WITH THE BEST, BITCH!"

"You're messing with the best, bitch!"

"Come on! Say it like you mean it! Four!"

"YOU'RE MESSING WITH THE BEST, BITCH!"

While Dore and Gohan continued to do the man's fabled 'delinquent squats' while shouting badass lines at the top of their lungs, Salza, Myra and Neiz shared looks with one another, before the amphibian shrugged.

"Well, he did call first dibs," the Zalt-seijin remarked in amusement. He then looked across at his female companion. "Didn't he do the same thing with you when _you_ first joined, Myra?"

"Yeah. He did. I thought it was idiotic at first, but it really helped strengthen my base stance, my core, and my back. Does wonders for your lunging strikes," Myra laughed, shaking her head and setting her hands on her hips. "Man. Those were good times." Upon seeing the pair speed up and the demi-Saiyan become more aggressive with his exclamations, as well as looking like he was actually enjoying himself, the Hera looked across at her two teammates and grinned widely. "I'm gonna join them." She then promptly jogged over to where Gohan was and came up right alongside him, where she began doing squats and curses with them.

"_**I'll freakin' kill you, asshole!"**_ both she and Gohan shouted.

"That's it!" Dore shouted, grinning broadly as they all stood up and squatted again. "Feel it! Express it! Let the whole ship hear you! Forty-three! IS THAT ALL YA GOT, SHITHEAD?!"

"_**Is that all ya got, shithead?!"**_

"Yeah! Disrespect that man! Disrespect him!" Dore shouted. "Can you feel the burn yet?! Forty-four!"

"_**You're messing with the best, bitch!"**_

"LOUDER!"

"_**YOU'RE MESSING WITH THE BEST, BITCH!"**_

And for the next few hours this grueling warmup continued, until Dore, Gohan and Myra finished all five-thousand reps of the man's remedial tough guy exercise.

XXX

(Two weeks later)

(Otherworld)

Above the tail end of Snake Way, where the ocean of golden clouds continued stretching on for all eternity, there floated a tiny planet. Merely a fraction of what it once was eons ago, this tiny ball of lawn, trees, and paved road looping around its entire hemisphere, with a cottage and shed sitting near its pole, made up the home world of the guardian of the Northern Galaxies- King Kai.

It was at this very location where Goku, through the instructions of his mentor Kami and the administrator of the check-in station King Yemma, would meet his next teacher. He certainly did of course, following a rather embarrassing mix up when he initially believed the master's assistant Bubbles to be the legendary martial arts coach. However, following a very warm exchange between himself and the Kai- and after beating the man's challenge of getting him to laugh through telling him a joke- the Saiyan father had begun his training right away.

In an environment where the gravity was ten times greater than that on Earth, the spiky haired, gutsy warrior was given the task of attempting to catch King Kai's friend Bubbles. Though this seemed like an easy enough task at first blush, when coupled with the awkward layout of the tiny planet and its insane gravity field, not to mention the fact that the monkey could move quite quickly, catching the furry critter was proving to be quite the challenge for the hero. However, being the stubborn and persistent son of a bitch that he was, the Saiyan father took the trial as it was and went at it with the determination that was to be expected of his character.

While at first the man struggled to even lift his feet due to the enormous mass imposed on his body by the tiny world, through sheer grit and willpower the adult was able to force himself to move. But even though he was able to stomp around like a giant in a fairytale and make quite a show of it, it didn't mean he was able to pick up the speed he needed to catch Bubbles.

In fact the man was moving so slowly that the little monkey was able to take long pauses waiting for Goku to catch up to him. When the man came in close, the mammal would just hop away, moving further and further along the planet, before stopping to let the man catch up.

The repeated starting and stopping of the monkey was proving to be quite disheartening for the man. But, after slapping some sense into him with a few claps to the cheeks, Goku kept on going.

Of course, after lapping the planet about twenty times in an attempt to catch the ape, the Saiyan decided to pull in for a break. Stopping beside the classic red Chevrolet parked on the driveway, the panting, sweating Saiyan collapsed onto the grass and gasped. As he threw his head back and basked in the light, he was being closely watched by the short, robed form of a blue-skinned, alien being with black sunglasses and antennae, who- as it turns out- was the owner of the planet King Kai.

The man chuckled when he saw Goku take in several deep gulps of air, while looking as though he was about to pass out. "Twenty laps. Not bad. But I can see that bubbles is really putting you through the ringer."

"Oh yeah… he definitely is," the Saiyan panted, swallowing a couple of times before then looking down the length of his body and towards the Kai. "Man. Who knew trying to catch a monkey could be so hard." He made this comment just as he saw the tiny form of Bubbles pop his head up from over the curvature of the planet, as if checking on the status of the person who was chasing him. Wisely choosing to keep his distance, the little monkey remained where he was, all the while being grinned at by the exhausted Goku. "Training like this was never this hard back on Earth. Well… except for that one time I tried to go into that weird _Spirit and Time Room_ back on _Kami's Lookout_. But that place was really spooky. Didn't want to stay in there for another second all by myself."

"Well, you'd better get used to this really quickly, buddy. Because as soon as you catch your breath, you're going straight back out there," King Kai chuckled, drawing a startled look from the Saiyan. Before he could ask why the teacher was being so pushy with him, the guardian of the Milky Way proceeded to remind him. "Your friends back on Earth are training as hard as they can in preparation for the arrival of those two Saiyans. If they manage to get there and you're not ready to face them, you and the others are going to be in for a world of hurt."

Upon hearing this, Goku's expression steeled and the man's recovery hastened almost instantaneously. He then gave a nod of understanding. "Right."

King Kai smiled, "I'm glad that you understand." The man then reached out from behind him and handed Goku a towel. "Here."

With the Saiyan taking it and thanking his trainer with a warm smile, he then proceeded to dry his face and neck. Just as he was working on the spots under his top, the warrior then blinked and looked across at his master inquisitively. "Hey, King Kai. You… can see what's happening across most of the known universe, right?"

The North King cocked his eyebrows. "About as far as my powers will permit me. Though the other quadrants aren't exactly under my jurisdiction, I've been able to sneak in a few peeks across to see how things are going in those areas of space. Why do you ask?"

Goku, feeling a sense of renewed hope, grinned and sat up more readily. "Then… do you think you could look to see where my son is? Gohan? The last time I saw him, he was being shot up into space in my older brother's ship… and I've been wondering if my friends were able to wish him back down to Earth." The man then clapped his hands together and bowed his head humbly. "Please. I'm really worried about him. I want to know if he's safe."

King Kai, immediately sensing the man's concern and sincerity, smiled and nodded. "Of course, Goku. If it's your son, I can certainly check for you." He then promptly set his hands behind his back and stretched out his senses- his antennae twitching and giving the indication that his telepathic abilities were coming into play.

From there, Goku sat patiently on the grass, waiting with baited breath to hear what the guardian of the Northern Galaxies had to say. After about a couple of minutes of waiting and watching the Kai's expression squeeze and twist through various levels of concentration, he suddenly heard the man gasp, which in turn caused the Saiyan to scramble to his feet.

"Huh? W-What is it?" the father asked, his worries coming back to him full force when he saw a small sweat break out on the Kai's head. Following a few seconds and no response, the spiky haired hero stepped towards him. "Did you… did you manage to find him? Is Gohan alright?"

A few moments of scanning later, King Kai's face momentarily switched to a look of horror. However, after clearing his throat and shaking his head to clear it of his daze, he then turned his attention towards his apprentice and smiled assuredly in his direction. "Don't worry, Goku. Your boy is alright. In fact… he's better than alright. He's been picked up by a group of aliens in another galaxy and they're taking very good care of him." When he saw the Saiyan's face brighten, the trainer's expression remained calm for a moment. After a few seconds of internal debate, a long sigh then left the Kai's lips. "Although… the leader of these aliens that Gohan has come into contact with… he's something else altogether."

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Back on Cooler's Ship)

In the same training room where Gohan's induction into the _Armored Squadron_ had been held, the young demi-Saiyan was going through his fourteenth consecutive day of continuous training. In a gravity field set to over fifty times that of Earth's, the four-year-old child was going through the hazing of a lifetime. With his form bathed in a white aura, which blasted around him in an inferno, the youngster darted around the open floor space at a furious pace, before dashing forward and lunging towards a calmly smiling Myra.

A battle cry leaving his lips, the child with the furry tail leapt at the orange-haired adolescent and started lashing out at her with a flurry of punches and kicks. His attacks shooting out in a blur, Gohan shouted at the top of his lungs with every attack he made, attempting to slip his attacks through her guard and hit her in the head. But try as he might, the boy just couldn't get a single punch through, as the girl calmly stood there, leaning back slightly, while casually blocking and parrying all of his attacks.

"Yeah. That's it, Gohan-kun! Keep it up! Faster! Faster!" Myra shouted, blocking and dodging the kid's attacks repeatedly and without fail. Keeping a steady pace, the girl calmly backed up as she allowed the youngster to unleash everything he had on her, attacking and attacking at an unrelenting pace. When she saw his attacks start to go wide and his form waver, the Hera gave the boy a prompt wakeup call with a sharp back fist to the side of his head. The angled counter smacked the kid in the cheek, rattling his head as he was knocked spinning out of the air. "Don't drop your guard! Keep it tight!"

Landing on the tiles a few feet away, Gohan crouched down on all fours- panting heavily while reaching up to brush away the blood that dribbled from his mouth. Already covered in multiple, stinging injuries and cuts from his training day so far, the boy gave his roommate a momentary look of confusion.

When she saw the look she gave him, Myra smiled back at the youngster and nodded. "Your aggression is good. But don't let yourself get caught up in a pattern. It makes your moves predictable." Slightly widening her feet, the girl in the bloomers and revealing tank top raised her hands and gave the boy a smirk. "Now… again."

Gohan, hearing the adolescent's instruction, nodded and stood up. "Right. Yes, ma'am." He then set himself into a proper fighting stance again, this time adopting one that he'd learned in his short tenure under the girl's tutelage thus far. With his fingers curling downwards into a very mantis like stance, the boy set his feet wide and dropped low- obviously preparing for another attack.

Seeing the youngster flex his ki again put a smile on Myra's face, who then twitched her own fingers as she gathered her energy into her palms. "Good." She then thrust both hands forward and fired several flashes of golden light, which streaked towards the boy in the form of concentrated beams.

Spotting the attacks flying at him, the alarmed demi-Saiyan darted to the side in a blur, effectively avoiding the attacks that exploded uselessly against the tiles. As he sprinted around the room, he made sure to stay ahead of the trail of fire, as Myra continued to chase after him with repeated energy blasts from her hands.

Eyes narrowing when she noticed his movements, the Hera then barked. "Come on! Attack! Don't just dodge! Get inside!" She then began firing energy blasts even faster, intercepting the kid's path and forcing him to spring back. Upon which he then began dashing towards her, zigzagging left and right in a blur of movement to avoid her oncoming assault. Determined to keep him at a distance and make the boy work for it, Myra leapt back, but kept on firing. "That's it! Put pressure on your opponent! Move in and in until they can't breathe anymore!"

As small explosions continued to fill the open areas of space of the training room, watching from the sidelines, the male members of _Cooler's Armored Squadron-_ Salza, Neiz and Dore- were calmly observing the boy's training session with Myra and making notes on his progress. From the smiles on their faces and the impressed nods they were giving, they were clearly liking what they were seeing.

Though Gohan's skills were developing at a superb and remarkable rate, he still had quite a ways to go before he could be considered battle ready by their standards- not to mention their emperor's. But until then, the four of them would continue to push the child, working him day in and day out until he was given his first assignment.

Obviously the members of the squad couldn't wait to see what the little go-getter could do once his intense training regimen with them was completed.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Author's Note**_**:**_ Man, I love writing this fic.


	8. Saiyan Saga - Trial by Fire

**Author's Note:** I really like the concept of Gohan having this side adventure up in space while the other heroes have to deal with things on their end. It not only shows the breadth and scale of the universe as a whole, but also gives the child an opportunity to grow in an environment that supports his passions.

Gohan's going to be stuck in space for the foreseeable future of course, due to the fact that the Z-fighters need to use the dragon balls to wish back Goku to help them fight back against the Saiyans. They have to prioritize the safety of the world and if they manage to defeat the Saiyans, then afterwards they can wish back Gohan. However, with the way things pan out in the original series with the deaths of almost everyone at the hands of Nappa, things won't be as simple.

Plus, you can't wish Goku and Gohan back from two different circumstances at the same time. That counts as two wishes, same as with Cheelai wishing for 'Broly to be saved' and 'send him back to the planet he grew up on'.

However, with the addition of Raditz, anything is possible at this point.

You're going to find this version of the Saiyan Saga to be quite interesting, especially with what I have planned.

* * *

**Dragonball Z**

_**Alter Age**_

_Trial by Fire_

(Three weeks later)

(Earth)

With Krillin and the rest of the combative members of the Z-fighters training up on _Kami's Lookout_ in anticipation for the arrival of the Saiyans, the task of locating and finding the dragon balls had fallen into Bulma's hands. Being the most experienced hunter in the group and knowing full well that a journey across the planet in search of the seven mystical orbs would be a long and perilous one, the scientist recruited the assistance of Oolong and Puar to help her out.

This meant that for the first time in a while, every single member of the Dragon Team was now busy working towards the same goal- to defend the Earth from the threat that was to come.

Since they already had the four-star ball in their possession and already knew where two of the others were, this left only four more dragon balls to locate. Unfortunately for the adventurers, the two balls that Bulma already knew the location of happened to be at the one place that very few people wanted to go at this stage- and that was Goku and Chi-Chi's place.

After finding out that her husband had been killed and her son had been shot up into space to Kai-knows-where, the mother had spent most of the past many days locked up in her house, kicking up a fuss, and worrying to no end as to what was happening to her beloved family members. Though her father- the Ox King- had spent the last few weeks comforting his daughter and counseling her whenever her moods went completely off the rails, there was only so much the poor old lord could do for the person who was technically considered the strongest human female on the planet. The fits that she threw often led to great amounts of destruction around the household and, due to the fact that she wasn't the most agreeable person to deal with- even at the best of times- it made approaching her with any legitimate reason quite the hazard.

She was a spoiled little princess after all. If things didn't go her way, you could bet there was going to be a lot of hell to pay.

The grief at losing the two boys in her life had left Chi-Chi with a short fuse, a grief-stricken heart, and an axe to grind. Since she was constantly calling up on Master Roshi and demanding to know what the progress was on the dragon ball hunt, it was safe to assume that all of the Z-fighters needed to tackle this situation with as much care and caution as they could muster. This was why when Chi-Chi had once again confined herself to Goku's childhood home- Grandpa Gohan's house on the far edge of their property- the Ox King told Bulma to come over to collect the two dragon balls that Goku had previously collected.

Sneaking up to the front door and greeting the kindly old man at the entrance, the blue-haired woman in the traveling pants and jacket, along with an appropriately dressed Oolong, smiled in relief when the Ox King handed to them the magical jewels that they were seeking.

"Make sure you summon the dragon as soon as you can," the Ox King whispered, smiling at the delightful looks that came over Bulma and Oolong's faces.

"Don't worry, sir. We will," the young researcher replied, smiling as she gazed down at both the three-star ball and the six-star ball glistening in her hands. "Alright. If we add these two with the ones we already have, we have four balls in total."

"Oh? You already managed to find another one?" the Ox King asked excitedly.

"Yeah. The two-star ball. Fortuneteller Baba managed to find it lying just outside of her desert and brought it over to us," Oolong said, grinning up at Chi-Chi's father when he glanced across at him. "I gotta say, it was very kind of her."

"Well… I hope your search for the rest of them goes smoothly. The last thing you need is another problem slowing you down," the burly man with the beard, horns and glasses said, his expression remaining ever hopeful as he nodded to the pair. "I wish you guys the best of luck."

"Thank you," Bulma said back, giving the old king a bow before quickly turning her attention westward. When her eyes landed on the familiar, oriental style hut that was Goku's old house sitting at the top of the hill alongside the bamboo woods, the woman's expression fell slightly. Noticing her averted stare, both Oolong and the Ox King also looked in the same direction, where they too spied the same little house. "How's Chi-Chi? Is she… going to be okay?"

"Hmm…" the Ox King murmured in a low voice before shaking his head. "My daughter is fine for now. But it will take some time before she can really get back on her feet."

Bulma blinked when she heard this. "She's still upset over her husband and son being gone, huh?" She wasn't surprised. If she was married and had a kid, she'd probably be pretty distraught as well if she learned one day that the two of them had either been kidnapped or killed.

"Yeah," the Ox-King sighed, his look also saddening as he looked upon the lonely little house at the other end of the footpath. "I really miss my grandson. The brave little tiger… always scurrying about the house on his hands and feet, looking for things and animals to play with. He's such a little scamp." He then turned to the woman and smiled at her. "As soon as you wish Goku back to life, make sure you bring Gohan back as well."

Bulma looked back at the elderly male and smiled. "Of course. That's the plan."

Upon saying their fondest farewells to one another, Bulma and Oolong parted from the house, leaving the Ox King standing at the front door, waving them off. While the pair were climbing into the yellow jet-copter the woman had parked out in the field, over in Grandpa Gohan's house, through the tiny window into the main room, Chi-Chi could be seen kneeling beside the bed and with face lying atop the neatly laid out sheets.

Having been lying in that position for quite some time, the woman had had plenty of time to meditate on her thoughts. The rollercoaster of emotions that'd gripped her had sent her into frequent bouts of anguish, frustration, and resignation, as the Son mother did everything she could think of to reason with herself that things were going to be alright. But after all the things that'd happened, she just could not see any reason to be calm.

After all, her husband was gone and so was her son. Since the dragon could only grant so many wishes- the total being one- and bringing back both of her boys would count as two separate ones according to Master Roshi, Chi-Chi knew that getting back one of them would take another year.

And seeing as how the group had even bigger problems to worry about in the form of the coming Saiyans, the mother knew that her husband's friends were going to have to wish Goku back first. There was, after all, no other option.

Despite knowing that the love of her life was going to be coming back within a year's time, the knowledge still left her feeling incredibly broken up.

Turning her head around and laying it on the mattress on its side, the mother with the swollen red eyes breathed out a heavy sigh. During which her fingers clenched tightly against the sheets spread out on the mattress beneath her.

"Gohan," Chi-Chi whispered, her teeth tightening as images of her son and his happy, smiling face appeared in her head once again. "My sweet, little boy." Lifting her head off the bed, she then looked up towards the ceiling, where she knew that far beyond the tiny little roof, lay a vast, uncharted wilderness that stretched on infinitely in all directions. "He's out there… all alone… lost on some distant planet. He must be absolutely frightened."

She could only imagine what kind of terrors her poor son was facing right about now and how scared he had to be. Being so young and innocent, she was sure her delicate baby was in danger and needed his mother.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Cooler Planet 113)

Down on the large, blue and green planet covered in swirling layers of white clouds, situated atop a large, rocky outcrop in the middle of a wide valley, stood a white, multi-towered fortress of an unusual, alien design. Serving as one of many facilities under the control and jurisdiction of the _Cooler Force_, as well as a key ground base for its enormous and well-funded military, this station was currently serving as a testing area for one of the army's newest members. It also happened to be one who was currently assigned to its most elite, tactical fighting force.

Confined to a chamber on the bottom floor of the base's largest tower, in a massive, dome-shaped room covered in white plated walls and red tiled floor, the tiny, seemingly unimpressive form of one Son Gohan was currently standing in the center of the chamber and glaring across the space. Wearing a set of slim, purple spandex shorts and short-sleeved shirt, along with a pair of white boots and gloves, the boy with the furry brown tail waving behind him and head of long, messy black hair that grew past his shoulders, found himself facing off against a very familiar yet intimidating menace.

Circling his spot in the center of the brightly lit training room, with a gravity setting cranked up to around ten, a group of about twelve, angry-looking Saibamen could be seen slowly edging in on the youngster's position. Their red eyes gleaming brightly as they shuffled around their stationary target, the collection of green creatures with bulbous heads and clawed hands sneered and hissed as they attempted to get a rise out of their prey. However, after about a minute of snarling and slowly converging on his location, they weren't able to get a single thing out of him.

All he was doing was standing there- his eyes narrowed sharply and an unperturbed look slapped across his face. Even though he was surrounded by creatures that were slightly bigger and heavier-looking than him, the half-Saiyan, half-human child was unafraid.

I mean, why would he? Despite there being twelve of them, there were already over a dozen other Saibamen lying dead and in various states of dismemberment around the room. Their green blood could be splattered all across the walls and floors, indicating that a round of mayhem and carnage had already taken place within the arena- spelling a very grusome end for the first wave of aliens.

Sneering once again when the group of twelve synthetic aliens stepped in a little closer, four of them decided to make their move. With a screech and a cackle, the critters standing in the kid's blind spots jumped at him from multiple directions- extending their claws and lashing out at him at once. However, just when they thought they were about to catch him in a pincer maneuver, the boy effortlessly slipped between them- his body transforming into a haze as he deftly avoided the four creatures' charges by moving from side to side.

When the group failed to hit him, two of the Saibamen on the boy's newly acquired right leaned forward, cracked open their heads, and fired two green beams of energy towards him. Despite their speed, the lasers were effectively smacked away when the boy spun around and batted them aside with his arm, sending the attacks shooting across the room to slam into the far wall.

The moment the blasts detonated, another Saibaman flew at Gohan from the left and attempted to slash him across the back. But just before it could even begin swinging, the child's hand suddenly snapped out and caught the critter by the neck. A strangled screech then left the alien's thin lips as the Saibaman was held a foot above the ground- its clawed feet kicking at the air uselessly as its wide, red eyes looked down at its foe.

A nervous chitter left its throat when it saw Gohan look up at him and an excited, yet very feral grin tugged at the corner of the boy's lips. For any normal child, being confronted by such horrifying imps would've terrified them to no end, and sent them crying to their parents. On the contrary however, Gohan wasn't the least bit scared of these creatures.

In fact, as he was now, he was having the time of his life.

While the boy was holding the Saibaman at his mercy, on the other side of the far wall, peering through the lenses of the various cameras built throughout the chamber, the small group of soldiers watching the session were completely stumped.

"Holy moons of Kiora! Did you guys see that?!" one of the men- a green alien in a black RIT armor, uniform, and a white helmet exclaimed in disbelief.

"I… I think so. Although… I think I might have blinked," the yellow and orange scaled alien in similar armor sitting beside his companion also exclaimed. From the way his eyes were bugging out, it was clear he was quite shocked by the display being shown on screen. "How in the heck did he do that?!"

"His back was turned to them, yet he was able to dodge their attacks like he knew they were coming!" the green alien shouted again, his jaw slack as beads of sweat ran down his skin. "Th-There's just no way!"

As the soldiers on the computer were trembled in awe at the sight of the child tangling with the Saibamen, leaning against the wall towards the side of the monitoring station, the sole female member of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_\- Myra- was also observing the battle. Her pink scouter sitting comfortably over her eye, the adolescent with short hair and the one earring hanging from her lobe smiled when she saw how casually Gohan was handling his opponents by himself.

The same could be said for her companion Neiz, who was also in the room with them and standing directly behind the soldiers at the control panels and computer terminals. With his hands on his hips and posture fully straight, allowing him to tower over all of the people present, the Zalt-seijin couldn't help but grin broadly at everyone's reactions.

"You ain't seen nothing yet, boys," the amphibian elite stated, catching the group of soldier's by surprise and having the two who were speaking glance at the elite warrior. "Just keep watching."

As all the Cooler soldiers posted in the room turned their gazes back to the child in the center screen, which offered them a full view of the facility space he was occupying, they saw for themselves the full capabilities of the young half-Saiyan come into the light.

In the room, after throttling the Saibaman in his grip for a solid minute and feeling it squirm helplessly, the four-year-old Gohan decided to finish it off by swinging its body back, before slamming its head straight into the floor. A sickening _**splat**_ then rang out as its skull literally ruptured against the tiles and splattered over the ground and the child's cheek, leaving a puddle of goop and brains in the middle of the room.

The moment the others saw its comrade get taken out in such a decisive and brutal manner, many of the Saibamen who were previously thinking about taking a swipe at the kid, took a terrified step back in alarm. Sensing their fear and noticing their moment of hesitation, a crouching Gohan looked up at the aliens with a very bestial sneer, before suddenly vanishing in a crack of wind. The instant his form disappeared in a flicker, an indiscernible blur darted between the group of Saibamen in front of him, a full second before the boy reappeared on the other side of the room in a standing position and a wide smirk on his face.

When the squad of aliens managed to spot the half-Saiyan kid a moment later, the entire group turned around to face him. The second they did however, eight of the eleven remaining Saibamen suddenly stopped, before multiple cuts opened up all over their bodies and began spraying green blood into the air. The next thing they knew was their bodies literally cascading to the ground in a shower of chunks and cubes, having been cut apart so fast that they didn't even realize that they were dead until the floor literally became covered in eight separate piles of limbs, torsos, and heads.

Once the deed was done, Gohan slowly turned around and leered at the three remaining plant aliens in the room, all of whom took several steps back at the feral grin the child shot their way. When they faced off against the kid with the glowing eyes, the three remaining Saibamen then gave identical, angry snarls, before they then flew into action.

With one of the aliens grabbing its comrade by the arm, it then threw his friend towards the Saiyan, while the second one darted to the side and came at the kid from the side. In the blink of an eye, as Gohan turned around with an intrigued look on his face, he found his body suddenly locked down when the Saibaman thrown at him snapped it limbs around his frame and got him in a bear hug.

A split second later, as the boy looked back at the Saibaman snarling at him, the other two green monstrosities also jumped on them- dogpiling the child and attempting to bring him down. When that didn't work and the hybrid remained standing perfectly still and unperturbed, the three genetically created aliens decided to take matters into their own terms. Their bodies simmering for a couple of seconds, the trio of Saibamen then detonated, engulfing the boy in a flash of fiery gold and causing the a deafening bang to echo throughout the room.

The soldiers watching from the monitors in the room over literally jumped out of their seats in shock when they saw the Saibamen suicide bomb the kid. They were flabbergasted, not only at the fact that they saw it happen, but that the boy that they were targeting didn't even bother to defend himself as he literally became engulfed in flames.

However, while the sight of the smoke billowing in the center of the chamber stunned the observing soldiers, both a watching Neiz and Myra were unaffected. In fact, they were simply staring at the screen with bored looks on their faces.

When the air eventually cleared moments later, it revealed Gohan standing perfect still in the center of a chipped and damaged floor, which had been scorched black in an outward direction from the explosion. The area still hot with tiny wisps of fire burning against the rocks, the demi-Saiyan simply stood there, surrounded by the smoldering remains of his last opponents.

Aside from being covered in a little bit of soot, the child was perfectly fine. He made this fact apparent by simply lifting his right hand and casually brushing a tiny chunk of Saibaman carapace resting on the side of his shoulder.

"Is that it?" Gohan asked, at the same time cocking an eyebrow around at the corpses of the thirty Saibamen he'd effortlessly slaughtered. "Hmm… that was pretty boring."

Over in the other room, the still-standing soldiers gaped at the monitors.

"He's… He's still standing," the yellow and orange scaled lizard alien in the helmet stuttered. "I don't believe it!"

Neiz chuckled when he heard this comment from the grunt. "I told you. But if that's not enough to impress you three, then consider this: that runt hasn't even shown half of what he's truly capable of." When he saw the man standing in front of the center computer turn to gawk at him, the amphibian elite crossed his arms proudly. "To him, fighting those walking plants can barely even be considered a warmup."

"Seriously?" the same reptile male choked out. Shakily looking back at the monitor to see Gohan picking at his ear, the soldier blinked. "And… you said he was only four years old, right?"

This statement also caused the green-skinned alien on the seat to the left to swallow nervously. "My gosh. If he's this strong now, what's he going to be like when he's full grown?"

All of these questions caused a listening Myra to snicker from her side of the room, with the Hera's back remaining propped up against the wall as she observed the screens. "Nobody really knows that for sure. But since he's part of our squad now, you can bet in just a few short years he's going to become even more incredible." She then promptly raised a hand and pointed a finger towards the group of soldiers at the computers. "So a word of advice… stay on his good side."

"Shoot. Yeah… guhh…" the soldier stammered back, at the same time the third in the group turned to face Neiz.

"What would you like us to do now, sir?" the Sergeant asked, the humanoid-looking alien asked inquisitively. "Should we cancel the simulation?"

Tilting his head momentarily, the tall Zalt-seijin scrunched his brow up thoughtfully before shaking his head. "Not just yet." He then unfolded his arms and pointed towards the scaled alien stationed at the center computer. "Bring up Test Subject 74."

Wheeling around in alarm, the yellow soldier Neiz was addressing gaped at the warrior through his fanged mouth. "B-But… Test Subject 74? Isn't that… isn't that going a little bit too far? I mean… the boy may be strong, but I doubt even he could stand up to that beast on his own. We haven't even fully tested the-"

"Just do it," Neiz responded, a smile still in play as he gave the soldiers beneath him a hard stare. "And crank up the gravity setting to seventy while you're at it."

At first appearing hesitant, the men at the terminals immediately went about making preparations for the next phase. Multiple beeps and hums rang as they typed into the keys, accessing a new system that would allow them to modify the room in front of them to the elite commando's specifications. All the while Myra remained where she was, intrigued by what was now going on.

Back in the training room, just as Gohan was starting to think that his trial was over, a loud clank followed by the low whirring of metal drew the youngster's attention to the area behind him. Eyeing the bloodied floor in the center of the room, the demi-Saiyan felt the gravity around him suddenly triple, before seeing a large hatch open a dozen feet away from him. As the sound of engines moving below continued to echo throughout the enclosed battle arena, Gohan then watched as a large, silhouetted figure rose up from the bowels of the structure. When the lift stopped and a loud hiss rang out, locking the platform into place, the child was then given his first, good look at the creature that'd been summoned.

Standing on all fours like an animal and looking as big as a bull, was a creature that was very alien and bestial in appearance. Covered in green skin and carapace plates exactly like the Saibamen he'd fought before, the creature had a very lean, yet muscular build, with a large head at the front, with veins pulsing all over its skull, two horns protruding out of it, and a long, plated tail with a sharp point at the end of it. It also had three claws on each hand and foot.

Overall, it looked like some sort of overgrown, mutated Saibaman. But from the mandibles over the snout it had protruding from the lower portions of its face, it was anything but. The moment its eyes landed on the kid staring at it strangely from his spot in the room, the enormous, bug-like creature stomped forward, inhaled sharply, before hissing menacingly at the young Saiyan- at the same time sending a blast of wind ripping from its body and across the room.

Myra, watching the action comfortably from her place by the wall, blinked when she saw the massive, four armed creature step off of the platform it'd used as a lift. "What the heck is _that_ thing?" she asked, the scouter units installed into the training room screaming as the numbers suddenly skyrocketed. "Some kind of Saibaman on steroids?"

The sergeant at the computer terminal turned to the orange-haired elite and spoke up. "That monster is called Test Subject 74- or what Kikono nicknamed a _**Saibademon**_\- an evolved, mutated form of Saibaman, modified and enhanced through genetic engineering. Cooler-sama demanded the research and development team to create a new, heavy-class of artificially grown soldiers for his forces, which could be sent to outlying planets to wipe out dangerous animal species in preparation for expeditions. So the scientists developed _that_ freak of nature as a result."

Looking at the screens, Myra's eyebrow cocked in surprise. "It has a battle power of 30,000? That's even stronger than Frieza's top two generals, Dodoria and Zarbon."

A gulp echoed from the sergeant sitting in the chair as he observed the monitor. "Yes. The strength it has is astonishing… probably the most powerful specimen we've ever created. But because it's a prototype and prone to ignoring commands from its masters, we have yet to put any of its kind into mass production. That's why we've confined all the units we managed to create into solitary confinement cells beneath this tower."

The yellow scaled soldier stared nervously at the screen as he watched the lizard of a monster whip its tail behind it angrily. "I sure as hell wouldn't want to be in that room right now. A creature like that is more than capable of wiping an entire planet's population out in a single night if it ever got loose."

Despite these comments and statements being made by the troops in charge of monitoring the fighting chamber, neither Myra nor Neiz seemed worried in the least. In fact, both of them were actually keen to see how Gohan would handle himself.

The demi-Saiyan was somewhat intrigued. Not just at the beast's size and presence, but also its appearance. Though he initially mistook it to be a Saibaman mother, after getting a good whiff of its power and its scent, he knew right away that it wasn't. In fact, the air that it was currently giving off was not normal in the least, and that it was a species of creature that was not found in nature.

This was more than enough to get him to tilt his head at it as it approached him. When he heard it give a low snarl and its throat quiver as a result, Gohan smiled. "My, my… you're a big wolfie, aren't you?" The child then straightened up. "So. What can you do?"

The moment he asked that question he suddenly felt a spike in the beast's energy, before its threw its head forward, opened its mouth, and unleashed a torrent of bright green sludge straight at him. Reacting instinctively, Gohan darted out of the so fast that his body disappeared, a split second before the tidal wave of liquid struck against the back wall of the room, splashed against it, before combusting in a blast of flames.

Closing its mouth, the Saibademon gave a low growl as it watched the outer wall of the gravity chamber melt under the corrosive nature of its _**Acid Blast**_. Upon which its ears twitched before its body turned and eyes snapped upwards.

There, crouching on all fours against the arc of the ceiling and gripping the narrow, shallow edges of the tiles with his fingertips, Gohan was smiling down at the creature. Watching the wall and floor of the training chamber sizzle and melt in a wide arc, with many of the metallic edges actually burning from the acid catching fire from the high concentration of oxygen in the room, the child then dropped from the ceiling and touched down lightly on the floor with a tap. Upon which he straightened up and grinned at the beast.

"That was impressive," Gohan chirped, watching the creature lumber about to face him, before bearing its fangs and twitching its mandibles angrily. The demi-Saiyan took immediately notice of this and chuckled. "You seem like you're in a bit of a bad mood. Must be from being locked up underground for so long. How about I take you out for a walk? Would you like that?" He then bent over and clapped his hands at the animal, before then beckoning it towards him playfully. "Come on, puppy. Let's go."

Huffing angrily at the cocky grin the child was throwing it, the massive Saibademon slammed its clawed feet into the ground before, with a sharp inhale, roared loudly at the youngster. Its scream bounced off of the walls and caused the floor to tremble, with Gohan merely remaining where he was with a calm smile on his face.

Feeling his hair billow under the hot wind, the child smirked. "Oooh. Scary. So it's a roaring contest you want, huh?" Straightening up and widening his foot positions, Gohan took in a deep breath of air, clenched his fists, before then throwing his head forward and unleashing a mighty bellow from his throat. _**"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"**_ His scream was punctuated by a loud bang of a shockwave and a violent rumble, which caused the tiled floor beneath his feet to cave in and form a crater. This sudden show of force sent a wall of wind tearing out in all directions, causing the ground around him to warp as he sent the blast of wind towards his foe.

The Saibademon was unprepared for the child's sharp increase in power, which hit it head on and sent its entire body skidding backwards at great speed. Its claws digging into the surface and sending sparks as it attempted to stop itself, the creature's body eventually came to a screeching halt near the melted wall.

After the boy's scream finished echoing throughout the chamber and deafening all those within earshot, the startled Saibademon's head snapped up. With a low growl, the beast then barked before darting forward- its claws slamming and scraping against the tiles as it charged towards Gohan with all the fury and agility it could muster.

Closing the gap in a heartbeat, the beast then lashed out at the boy with its clawed hand, only for the boy to casually evade it by leaping to the side. When the Saibademon skidded along the ground to a stop, it then wheeled about and lashed out at the child with its tail. While Gohan ducked under its initially swing, he then darted out of the way when it whipped over and slammed into the floor, missing him when he jumped out of its path.

The moment Gohan vanished, the green, armored beast followed- also disappearing into thin air. The chamber soon became filled with the sounds of loud thuds and shockwaves, as the two oddly matched aliens began clashing with one another at high speed. Every so often their forms would flicker into view in random locations all across the dome-shaped chamber, before then disappearing with a crack of wind as they carried on their respective pursuits.

Eventually, after crisscrossing one another several times, a loud bang then rang out as the Saibademon was suddenly smacked out of thin air and sent crashing to the tiled floor. The moment it plummeted from the air and slammed into the metallic surface back-first, Gohan's body reappeared out of thin air above the arena- lowering his leg from the kick he'd smashed across the mutant's jaw. Upon which he then dropped to the ground, touching down gently and smirking proudly.

"You're good. But not good enough, I'm afraid," the child chirped, his eyes flashing in a very cocky, Saiyan manner. "Sorry, wolfie."

Rolling back onto its feet and showing off a smashed jaw that was bleeding heavily, as well as several shattered teeth, the red-eyed, reptilian synthetic beast gave a shaky snarl, before then letting out another, angry roar. Ignoring the various wounds covering its body and the stinging sensation in its fractured jaw, the Saibademon then bolted forward at an incredible speed. Feet pounding against the metal floor as it built up to ramming speed, the creature then dipped its head forward and slammed its horns into its target.

A loud bang echoed throughout the room when the creature collided with the demi-Saiyan head-on- the child taking the full brunt of its charge right in the torso, which caused him to skid back along the floor for a few feet. The Saibademon's momentum was then halted a couple seconds later when the boy's feet dug into the tiles, his boots screeching as he absorbed all of its force and bodyweight.

At first the creature thought it'd impaled the child through the vitals with its crown's protrusions. However, when it glared up at him to assess the damage, it discovered to its shock that Gohan had simply stood there with his hands up and taken its horns to the chest, which he was now holding back with nothing but his muscles. Despite hitting the Saiyan boy with the force of a locomotive traveling at hypersonic speed square in the body, all its horns did was press into the youngster's flesh, while doing absolutely no damage whatsoever.

Smirking at the stunned look that came over the mad creature's gape, Gohan then decided to put an end to it. "My turn." With a quick swipe of his hand, he struck the beast across the face with a hook from a sharp angle, smashing one of its horns off and sending green blood flying from its mouth. Upon stunning the Saibademon, the child then snapped his arms around its neck, yanked the beast towards him, and shoved its massive body into the floor.

Upon getting the beast into a crushing headlock, the young Saiyan then took a hold of the top and bottom parts of its jaw with both hands and slowly pried its bloodied mouth open. Ignoring the beast's screeches and hisses as it flailed about in his grip, the boy positioned its head so that its mouth was pointing upwards. Then, as its talons lashed out at his tiny, iron body in a last ditch effort to free itself, Gohan leaned back, took a deep breath and- with a sharp increase in ki- opened his mouth over the Saibademon's and hocked the biggest of all loogies down its throat in the form of a full-power _**Mouth Energy Wave**_.

The golden and orange beam erupted from the child's mouth and poured down the Saibademon's throat, causing its entire esophagus to be engulfed in a raging inferno. Blasting its throat for a full two seconds, Gohan felt the mutant squirm its last in his grip, its limbs falling to the floor before his energy wave incinerated its insides and burned a tear through the creature's neck, causing the head he was holding to detach from the rest of its body. The moment its flaming corpse dropped to the floor, the child stopped his attack, allowing its lifeless head to dangle from one of his hands as he lowered it and straightened back up into a normal position.

After looking down at the Saibademon's headless corpse and seeing its body start to burn from the inside out, the bored-looking Gohan breathed out a tiny, cute puff of smoke, before then tossing the beast's smoldering head to the side. He didn't even look when its skull bounced across the floor as he reached up and stretched his arms in the air.

"I'm hungry," Gohan remarked.

Back in the computer room, the initially stunned soldiers staring up at the monitors found themselves completely and utterly speechless.

Noticing the stumped expressions on the trio's faces, Neiz let out a boisterous laugh before leaning forward and clapping both the sergeant and his subordinates on the shoulders. Shaking them firmly, yet failing to get any kind of a response from them, the amphibian male spoke. "That was a great test, you guys. Good show. But I think at this point we can officially consider the_ "Super Saibaman Project" _a complete and utter failure."

Myra, letting out a giggle of her own at the slack jawed look on the soldiers' faces, stood up from her wall and wandered over to where the training room's main door was. "Nothing beats good, old-fashioned, naturally born manpower. Make a note of that for when Kikono-san asks about where his little pet has gotten to." She then waved for the soldier to open the vault entrance, which the yellow and orange alien at the station did, while at the same time still gaping at the screen with eyes that were practically bugging out.

With a loud hiss and a metallic snap, the large door to the training room opened. With the engines working inside humming to a stop, signifying the gravity setting was returning to normal and that the simulation had been completed, Myra waited with her hands on her hips as the perfectly fine Gohan ambled out of the chamber. When he stepped into the control room, the Hera noticed to no surprise that the child was carrying a Saibaman's arm, which he was currently in the process of eating.

Seeing the child stop in front of her, Myra shook her head. "Couldn't you have waited until we got to the lunchroom?"

Gohan, swallowing the bits of arm he had in his mouth, grinned happily. "I could've. But I was really, _really_ hungry before the fighting even started and I couldn't wait anymore. Plus this meat has a very interesting flavor. It's like… carrot mixed with very stringy beef." Opening his mouth and taking another bite out of the bicep, the boy chewed loudly on it while looking up at his roommate, who he saw was gazing down at him in amusement. "So? How did I do?"

Myra smiled and nodded at him, "You did great."

"You totally killed it in there, kid. Literally," Neiz also remarked, having moved over from the computer terminal to stand beside his smaller companions. The Zalt-seijin grinned broadly. "Heh. If only Salza and Dore had been here to see yah."

Feeling a sense of pride well up inside of him from the praise he was receiving from his fellow Armored Corp members, the grinning Gohan allowed his tail to wag behind him before glancing over at the Hera. "What's next on the list? Another training session with one of you guys?"

Sharing a glance with Neiz, the beguiling Myra looked back down at the child and gave him a more excited look. "Maybe later. But for now… I think it's time we sent you on an actual mission." When she saw the boy's expression change from smiling to shocked, the adolescent female then pointed over her shoulder with her thumb. "First, we'll get you cleaned up. And after that we'll go see Lord Cooler. He's waiting for us."

OOO

(Sometime later)

The training that Gohan had undergone over the past month had, in all honesty, been some of the most intense and interesting regiments that the boy could remember ever practicing. The routine that the members of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_ followed was completely different to the exercises that his father did when he was polishing up his martial arts in the valleys outside of their home in Mount Paozu. Not to mention their routines were a heck of a lot more strict and structured. All of their training was done on the clock and followed an incredibly specific timetable, as to be expected of any well-oiled military group.

Discipline was key… and Gohan was given that in spades. In spite of that, the past few weeks in which the child had been beaten into the ground and picked back up again, had been the most fun and exciting times the child could remember experiencing. It allowed him to see and do so many things in such a short time. He also had four awesome teachers and role models at his disposal- an opportunity that very few kids in his age group were ever given the privilege of shadowing and learning from.

Every day ran pretty much the same way, which Gohan was able to arrange into a basic eight day cycle, due to the fact that he was in a completely different galaxy and time zone.

In the mornings the boy would wake up, have breakfast in the mess hall with Myra- sometimes accompanied by either Dore, Neiz, Salza or two of them- before then heading to the specially designed gravity room for several hours of hard grinding. On the periods the child dubbed Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, he was personally tutored by Myra and Salza.

During her sessions, the female Hera showed Gohan how to draw on his energy, conjure it, and use it in a variety of different forms, including flight, firing blasts, forming shields and barriers, and manipulating it to augment certain parts of his body to increase his striking power and defenses. Clearly the hybrid found these skills to be incredibly useful and, with his versatility and talent for the arts giving him a big advantage over ordinary people, was able to pick these techniques up very quickly and begin formulating moves of his own.

Salza would then take over the boy's training in the afternoon sessions, helping the hybrid polish up his energy augmenting and manipulation abilities, and apply them in less orthodox ways. As expected, the Captain taught Gohan how to focus his ki around certain parts of his body to create cutting edges, giving him a new branch of techniques in his arsenal to explore. It also provided the team leader a new, experimental dueling partner to practice his moves with, in which the man used the past month to instruct the boy in the time-honored art of blade-to-blade saber fighting.

Gohan absolutely loved these refined, civilized combat lessons- though he did end up getting cut a few times by the Captain, partly due to his carelessness and partly due to the man being a little harsher with his training than Myra was. The Brench-seijin was a very fearsome and disciplined warrior after all, despite all appearances to the contrary.

Working with these two made up three of his regular training days.

On Tuesdays, Thursdays and some other day Gohan aptly decided to call Tokenday, he received guidance and training from both Dore and Neiz.

The green Beppa-seijin, being the most gung-ho of the group, would always begin and end his sessions with Gohan with vigorous, spirit-enhancing exercises- including his infamous _Delinquent Squat_ sets and _Tough Guy Swagger_ laps. The first exercise was obviously a textbook squat technique that strengthened the boy's legs, spine and tail bone, allowing the child to duck attacks with poise, as well as block and absorb crushing blows from above with little effort. The second exercise was a type of 'swagger' like stride, which taught Gohan how to perform more effective side-step dodges while moving in close to the opponent. Since jumping back was a rookie mistake for fighters and often led to them getting cornered, Dore taught the Saiyan how to put pressure on his enemies with his defense.

He also had the child practice various grappling and wrestling techniques, including locks, takedowns, pile drivers, suplexes, and hold breaks. Due to being so much smaller and weaker than Dore, Gohan at first struggled with learning all of these. But with some adjustments to his style and timing, he was able to perform several of the techniques the man taught to him to an appropriate level. Still, this didn't stop him from getting taken down and tossed by his muscle-bound trainer on occasion, who made it his mission to hammer his teachings into the boy's head his way.

After Dore, Neiz would take over for the second half of their routines. Being a bit smarter than his brutish teammate, as well as far more unorthodox in terms of his fighting style, the amphibian taught Gohan how to use his environment as well as his speed to his advantage. His less than textbook approach to combat meant the child had to quickly adapt to his routines. Aside from running laps, practicing to manipulate his ki to amplify his speed, and weight practice with combat, Gohan also learned how to dodge more effectively while fighting with Neiz. This was good for him since this kind of practice focused a lot on him using his animalistic senses and instincts to avoid attacks, which was fantastic practice.

Neiz had also started teaching him how to alter the elemental properties of his ki. But like with Salza's ki sharpening skills, he still had a ways to go before he could even get close to their level of mastery. Right now he still only knew the basics, which was good enough for him.

While each day was allocated between two of the four members of the team accordingly, the squad would always come together in the afternoons and study new formations and tactics together- with Salza reserving a slot in the evening for all of them to practice new dance techniques. It was an arrangement that every single person in the squadron greatly enjoyed and had very few complaints.

The weekends provided a different stretch of recreation and exercise for the demi-Saiyan. During the Saturdays for the odd eight day cycle he was now in, Gohan was free to train and spend his time in whatever productive session he saw fit, whether it was studying or exercising. The child wisely decided to use it for studying with Myra, as there was much about society and the universe that he had yet to know, and the boy was keen to learn about. Sunday on the other hand was the team's mandatory rest day, in which the _Cooler Squad_ were able to hang out on the ship or down on the planet they were orbiting to relax.

Overall, it was a pretty solid and reasonable calendar. It not only allowed Gohan to develop and refine his fighting skills, but it also helped him to build his character, increase his knowledge, and mold him into a functional member of the crew. His animalistic tendencies too, while still present on account of his heightened Saiyan attributes, had also been reigned in a little bit.

All of his training eventually led the child to this point. After going through a final test administered by Myra and Neiz down on the planet Cooler's ship was orbiting, the boy had now been given a green light by his two squad mates to join them on their first mission. However, since he'd ended up covered in ash and blood after his skirmish with the Saibamen and their mutated counterpart in the training room, he desperately needed a wash.

While the child was washing up in the locker room, the boy was able to take notes of his condition in the mirror. At the moment, the four-year-old was still in perfect, physical condition. However, aside from having developed his young muscles a lot more, he also had multiple, light scars crisscrossing his body in multiple places. Aside from having a bunch on his forearms from his intense power sessions, he also had one over his right shoulder, a second one going diagonally over his chest with a smaller one cutting across it- courtesy of Salza- and a big, white, jagged spot over his abdominals and on his back, which had been given to him by Lord Cooler shooting him through the gut on the day they met.

That one was the first scar he'd ever been given in his entire life and it was one that Gohan knew wasn't going to be going away anytime soon.

Once the boy had cleaned himself up, he did his long, back-length messy hair into a ponytail to tidy himself up, threw on his purple spandex, white gloves and boots, and the squad's trademark body armor, and then stepped out of the changing room. Meeting up with Neiz and Myra in the corridor, the group then hopped onto the base's inbuilt travellator and made their way to the flight decks outside of the base.

Stopping to grab a quick snack from the cafeteria, the trio then reached the middle levels. After passing through the automatic doors at the end of the hall, they found themselves out on the flight platforms where the military's Attack Balls and transport ships were located. Once there, not only did they see a bunch of soldiers running all about the main platform, moving crates and loading small freight saucers, the group also saw that Salza, Dore, and the army's head scientist Kikono, were waiting for them along the footbridge.

After walking up to them, the group's resident Saiyan was greeted with a big grin from Dore and a smile from Salza.

"Hey, little man! How did it go in there?" the Beppa-seijin asked in his usual, booming voice. "Was it hard? Did you crush it?"

Gohan grinned back at the green warrior and raised his fist. "Oh yeah. Big time. Those chumps didn't stand a chance."

"Haha! That's what I'm talkin' about!" Dore laughed, stepping towards the boy and raising his hand. "Give me some!" He then watched Gohan spring several feet into the air and slap his palm hard, causing a loud 'clap' to ring out before the boy dropped back to the floor. "WOO!"

The Captain of the squad, his green scouter flashing as he flicked his hair back, looked across at the grinning Myra and Neiz. "I take it then that he passed?"

A nod was the Hera's immediate answer. "With flying colors. He took out all 30 targets with no effort whatsoever, including the boss. Though, instead of having one of _us_ go in there to administer the final test, Neiz went a bit off the books and brought up one of the Saiba mutants Kikono and his boys were working on."

The small, yellow alien with the antennae and modified RIT armor, catching wind of this, took on a nervous look while stepping forward. "S-Saiba mutants? You mean… the _prototype soldier units _locked up in the tower's lower levels?" When he saw Myra nod, the chief scientist gulped. "Is… is it okay? Did it do well?"

The news the Hera had to share wasn't good.

"Gohan-kun killed your strongest one," Myra said straight away, causing the yellow alien's jaw to drop.

"S-S-Subject 74?" the man stuttered. "The Alpha?"

The adolescent Hera shrugged at him apologetically. "Yeah. Sorry."

Neiz on the other hand was completely reeling. "Oh, man! You should have seen the way he took that last one out!" The tall amphibian stepped over to Dore and tapped his friend in the shoulder with his knuckles. "He grabbed the thing by the jaws, shoved it into the floor, pried its mouth open, and fired a mouth energy blast down its throat until its head dropped off! It was freakin' brutal, dude!"

"Seriously?!" Dore asked, gaping at his teammate and seeing him nod. "Holy shit! Awesome! That's our little monkey boy!" the Beppa shouted, at the same time enthusiastically reaching down and ruffling Gohan's hair, messing up his locks and drawing a playful laugh from the child. Upon which the warrior looked back at Neiz. "Please tell me you have that fight recorded?"

The Zalt warrior nodded back with a wide grin. "Yep. We got it all."

"Sweet! I'm gonna check that shit out as soon as we get back to the ship," Dore said while clenching a fist tightly in front of him.

Kikono, upon recovering from learning about the fate of his prized bull, cleared his throat as he stepped in between the jazzed up members of his boss's elite fighting force. "I'm afraid kicking back and catching up is going to have to wait. For now, Lord Cooler has instructed me to fill you in on the specifics for your next mission." He then stepped to the side and gestured towards the platform. "If all of you would kindly follow me, please."

As the little alien scientist proceeded to move, Salza, Dore, Neiz, Myra and Gohan followed after him, being sure to stay behind the man as he made his way over the flight decks. Along the way the young hybrid Saiyan was able to see once again all of the soldiers operating on duty, with the guards that they passed saluting them as they marched out into the open. The group didn't have to move too far from the main bridge, as only a few minutes later they eventually stopped in the very center of the platform, where a large ship was waiting for them.

"Huh. I didn't notice this ship when we landed here this morning," Neiz remarked, remaining beside Dore while setting his hands on his hips.

"Is this part of our fleet? I don't recognize the model," Myra also observed, tilting her head as she and the others proceeded to study the vessel from the side.

Measuring about a seventy meters in length, the craft that Gohan and the other members of Cooler's elite found themselves looking at was a large, sleek vessel with a very striking design. Unlike the saucer-shaped scout ships and freighters that made up the bulk of the emperor's forces, this interstellar craft was streamlined, possessing a very bullet-like shape that got progressively thinner towards the nose, and was covered in mostly white armor plating, with a single black line looping around the ship, and brown, grooved plating along the top.

Standing on eight retractable landing legs designed like all the other vessels in the force- four on each side- the ship's hull was lined with round, blue viewing windows, large yellow anti-gravity floaters between them, and large hangar doors on both wings, which had the insignia of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_ painted on them. Beneath the vessel towards the front, there was a drop down stairway allowing access to the craft from below, and a third hangar door towards the back- placed there for the loading of cargo and other things. And at the top of the ship in front of its engines was the bridge, which stood elevated above the rest of the craft, and had a purple glass dome canopy at the front, providing a good view of the entire length of the ship and the surroundings.

From a design standpoint, it looked like a compressed, sleeker, and stream-lined version of Cooler's capital ship. However, thanks to all the specifications mentioned above, it was far more than that.

"Is it brand new?" Myra asked curiously while pointing towards it.

It was at this question that Kikono proudly stepped forward and smiled back at the group of five warriors gathered behind him. "Why, yes it is my dear. I designed her myself." He then gestured towards the long craft and proceeded with the introductions. "I call it the _Comet_. A Raider/Strike I-class corvette designed based off of the old Cold Force's large troop carriers. 70 meters in length and streamlined for speed and radar deflection, the vessel was built specifically for infiltration and assault missions, as well as extended deep space expeditions to multiple worlds. Outfitted with the most advanced computer systems and technologies available to the Cooler Force, the ship is equipped with dual heavy laser cannons and photon missiles- perfect for dealing with asteroids and enemy vessels- and a powerful cloaking device to shield passengers and crew from scouters and other sensors. Additionally, the ship is also fitted with the latest slip-space drive, which can allow the corvette to cross entire galaxies in a fraction of the time it would take an _Attack Ball_ to traverse." Kikono straightened up as a proud grin crossed his face. "You could say she's the fastest ship in the fleet."

Salza smiled. "She's an impressive girl."

"Shame that we don't have something like this for our crew," Myra muttered, a look of disappointment coming over her as she reached up to massage her neck. "Seriously. I'm getting really sick and tired of flying across the entire universe in a pod the size of an aerobics ball. Every time I get out to stretch my legs, it feels like I'm unpacking myself from a shipping crate."

"Heh. You and me both," Neiz remarked as well. He could definitely get on board with his teammate's complaints. After all, he was the biggest and tallest son-of-a-bitch around these parts- standing over half a body taller than Dore and twice the size of Myra. It was ridiculous.

It was at this point that Kikono flashed the group an amused smile. "Yes. She's a one-of-a-kind beauty alright. The only ship in her class." Placing his hands behind his back, the yellow alien turned to the squadron and nodded. "And best of all… I'm giving her to you."

At that point, expressions of astonishment and shock quickly appeared over the four warriors' faces, with Gohan simply listening in from between them. When Kikono's announcement was finally processed in the group's heads, Dore was the first to speak.

"Wait. Y-You mean…" the green warrior stuttered before pointing up at the ship in front of them. "This ship… is ours?"

"That is correct," Kikono chirped happily. "Why else would your group's insignia be painted on the side? Surely not just for decoration."

Almost as soon as he said this, as the boys in the group felt their eyes bug out, Myra- giving a very girlish squeal with stars in her eyes- suddenly sprang forward and landed splat against the side of the vessel's leg. From there, the squad and many of the soldiers patrolling the flight platform watched with odd looks on their faces as the adolescent girl giggled and rubbed her cheek against the leg of the craft, all the while keeping herself firmly pasted against the metal.

"HAHAHA! Yes! Yes! YES! Thank you, Kikono-san! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Myra laughed, looking back at the group with a red face and a big smile in play. "This is the best birthday present ever!"

While Gohan snickered at how his roommate was now acting, Kikono- shaking himself out of his daze- smiled back at the Hera. "I'm glad that you like her." He then turned towards the rest of the squadron, leaving Myra to continue showering affections upon their brand new toy. "Cooler-sama ordered me earlier this year to have a ship designed and built specifically for your team that would allow all four of you- now five of you- to go on deep space missions as a single unit. And not just towards the outlying regions of the empire's territory, but also to explore new worlds and reinforce current ones across all systems. In order to avoid any catastrophic mishaps or separations while on route, the young emperor believed it was best to have your entire team travel together in the same ship… and with all the necessities required to complete your assignments."

Salza, placing a hand over his chest, bowed gratefully to the scientist. "Lord Cooler is a very wise and generous leader. Our squad is very grateful to have him as our emperor and our commander."

"The entire vessel has been fully stocked and fueled- ready for her first voyage," Kikono explained, while proudly pushing his chest forward. "The five of you can set out immediately."

At this point, the Captain of the Armored Squadron gave the man a serious look. "While we're on the subject- since this vessel is brand new, it probably has a whole array of setups and facilities that we are unfamiliar with. Is it complicated to fly?"

"Not at all," Kikono replied, while at the same time smiling across at the blond captain. "The ship's primary consoles and computers should follow the same blueprints as the systems you're already accustomed to. However, should you have any troubles with engaging any of its programs or equipment, the five of you will have the assistance of your vessel's crew members." The man then gestured away from the ship to another part of the platform nearby.

When Salza, Gohan and the others looked, they saw a group of six naval officers in modified RIT uniforms- four women and two men of mixed alien races- standing by and at attention. The woman standing at the end of their formation was noticeably the tallest of them- close to the same height as Neiz- with smooth orange skin and long, flowing red hair, and was wearing a black spandex suit similar to a one piece, white boots and gloves, black and gold armor, and a green scouter over her left eye. The moment the squadron noticed the crew, the woman stepped forward and saluted.

"I'm lieutenant Shira- pilot of the _Comet_. It's a pleasure to have you with us, sirs," the woman, obviously the ship's main pilot, spoke.

Dore grinned at the sight of the vessel's crew members. "That is super cool."

"Shira will give you a tour of the vessel as soon as you're all underway," Kikono informed, before then turning to Captain Salza. When Myra detached herself from the ship and ambled back over to her squad, the scientist continued to break down the group's newest arrangements. "She and her team will take your squad to wherever you need to go, as well as monitor the ship's condition, and make repairs and supply stops whenever necessary. They are yours to command." Kikono then handed the squadron leader a white USB disk. When the warrior took it from him, the yellow alien scientist stepped away. "Lord Cooler has given your newly revised group its first assignment. There is a warlord holed up on a planetoid called Quaren- a resource rich world orbiting Star 115 in Messier 82. The rebel forces have dug into the capital city like ticks, with the leader claiming to possess a weapon that can destroy entire planets. Our emperor wishes for you to remove him personally and have the world ready for sale on the planetary trade market."

Hearing this put a smirk on Salza's face, who then nodded to the scientist affirmatively. "Consider it done." He then turned and looked down at Gohan, who he saw was staring up at him inquisitively. "Isn't this great, kid? We're finally going to put those skills of yours to good use. Are you ready?"

Gohan, feeling more jazzed than ever, punched a fist into the air excitedly. "Yes! Absolutely!"

A giggle left Myra's lips as she reached over and patted her friend on the head. "I'd say he's raring to go."

"As are all of us," Salza said, pocketing the chip before then turning to his squad and newly assigned crew. "Alright! It's been over a month since our last assignment! Time to put our new dance moves and attack formations into action! Let's get this circus on the move! Go, go, go!" the man shouted, at the same time clapping his hands.

Almost immediately the members of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_ and their flight team immediately scrambled towards the ship and up its steps. Once Salza had given a final nod to Kikono and received the last of the man's instructions, the captain himself made his way to the craft. The moment he started climbing the steps, the engines fired up with a loud hum, with the man raising the walkway the moment he was inside.

Kikono and the rest of the soldiers on the platform then watched with anticipation as the newly created, mobile headquarters of the squadron lifted off of the pad and floated up into the air. Upon rapidly gaining altitude, the vessel then pointed its nose skywards, drifted forward for several yards, before its back thrusters fired up and shot the ship straight into hyper speed- leaving a multicolored vapor trail in its wake.

OOO

(A few days later)

(Back on Earth)

High above the planet on _Kami's Lookout_, the Z-fighters were continuing their intense training. With a month and a half already come and gone, the human warriors were doing everything they could to hasten their development. This meant harder workouts, heavier weights, longer sparring sessions, and refining their energy manipulating skills.

After just a few weeks of work, the most experienced members of the group had already far surpassed the level that Goku had received when he fought Raditz. And now, with that goal line getting further and further behind them, the planet's defenders were now entering uncharted territory.

Out in the open, both Yamcha and Tien, wearing an even heavier set of clothing than Goku had worn back in the day, were engaged in a vicious sparring match. Working on their combinations and techniques, the pair traded blow after blow with superb skill and precision. Their grunts filled the air and mingled with the sounds of heavy thumps and rushing wind generated from their rapidly swinging limbs. Following a lightning fast exchange of punches, they then changed it up by adding knees into the mix, forcing their partner to alter their blocks and parries to accommodate for the change in pattern. By repeating these changes in sequence, the pair were not only steadily getting used to the enormous weights on their hands and feet, but also adjusting their senses to cope with the increased strain.

While the two of them were hard at it, over in the space nearby both Krillin and Launch could be seen sparring with one another. Once the woman had gotten used to the weighted clothing she was forced to train with, each of the male Z-fighters had taken in turns to teach her how to fight using a couple of different martial arts styles. After she'd picked one to master, she then began sparring with each of them in regular intervals. Based on how hard she was now working with Krillin, dodging his attacks and countering with her own, it was clear she was still determined to catch up to them.

After giving out a few grunts as she laid into Krillin's guard with a blur of punches, the short, bald fighter retaliated with a solid kick to the woman's stomach, before then driving forward with a flurry of straight blows. While Launch had the wind knocked out of her from the heel blow to the gut, she was quickly able to recover and deflect the man's punches. Diverting a right straight, the woman stepped in and delivered a sharp elbow into the warrior's face, which he managed to catch with his hand, locking the two of them in a standstill.

Growling as they pushed into one another with varying degrees of force, causing the soles of their feet to skid along the floor, Krillin gave the woman a smirk.

"Not bad, Launch. Not bad," the short warrior exclaimed. "You've gotten a lot better since yesterday."

The tough, blonde fighter chuckled as she pushed back against her friend- who she felt respond in kind. "I'm not planning on letting you guys stay in the lead. Just you wait. Sooner or later, I'm going to blow right past you chumps," Launch stated, with no short amount of grit and courage on her part.

"Heh. Now that I can't wait to see," Krillin laughed back, clearly impressed with the woman's resolve.

Following a fierce struggle, the pair then went right back to it, breaking off and continuing to trade blows at a rapid pace.

As all of this was going on, with the two pairs of fighters scarcely noticing the sparring match that Chiaotzu and Yajirobi were having just a few yards away, an explosion in the sky overhead shook the air around them. Though all of them ignored the blast in favor of focusing on their own training, they wouldn't have been able to see what was going on even if they wanted to. Because fighting each other in the skies over the Lookout and moving in the form of two barely visible blurs, both Piccolo and Raditz were engaged in a savage battle.

With the Namekian sporting his turban as well as only the neck portion of his cape, and the Saiyan wearing his trademark spandex shorts, a set of weighted boots, and large weight bands around his arms, the duo engaged in a game of high speed, aerial cat and mouse. Their forms crisscrossing the air in the form of multiple black flickers, the two met in several locations at once- colliding with one another repeatedly and causing multiple shockwaves to ring out across the stratosphere. Every time they crossed paths, the pair would ram into one another with their arms or legs, lash out at one another with a flurry of combos, before then breaking off after scoring a hit or two.

This sparring match between the pair had been going on for an hour already and in all that time, the pair of them had inflicted quite a bit of damage on one another. As it stood, Raditz was already sporting several cuts across his chest, a bleeding lip, and a bruise above his eye, while his demon of an opponent had received multiple purple bruises and wounds to his face and body. Though the Saiyan was still clearly the strongest out of the two of them, with each passing day the gap was getting narrower and narrower, which forced both warriors to train and fight extra harder to stay ahead.

It was pretty good motivation for both of them. Ever since Raditz decided to join in on the Z-fighters' training in preparation for the arrival of his former comrades Vegeta and Nappa, the man was able to see for himself just how much progress these earthlings were able to make in such a short amount of time. While most of the past few weeks he'd begrudgingly spent training with Piccolo- since he was the most powerful of the group and the only one capable of giving the mercenary a real challenge- the Saiyan warrior was still quite thrown at their growth.

The Namekian's especially. Even after only a few short weeks, with increased weight training and sparring, the man was actually starting to gain ground on him. This worried about Raditz's position in the pecking order and prompted him to begin putting more effort into their workouts.

Following a few more minutes of trading hand-to-hand blows across the sky, Raditz and Piccolo decided to finish up- both sticking their hands out and firing an energy beam at the other. With a gutsy yell from the two men after putting some distance between them, they each fired an orange and purple energy blast at one another respectively. The lasers collided midair and locked with one another in a momentary tug of war match, the center mass rapidly growing large before then detonating with resounding force.

A bright flash of fiery light then filled the atmosphere, forcing Piccolo and Raditz to separate, and sending both men spinning back down towards the Lookout's surface. Locking their bodies up into balls, they both performed aerial tumbles, before opening up and dropping down on the tiled surface of the floating palace. The instant they landed, the fireball in the sky faded, leaving only a light cloud of smoke hanging in the air.

Both panting heavily and dripping with sweat, the pair of men glared across at one another over the stretch of platform. About a minute later and after getting the necessary amount of oxygen back into their lungs, Piccolo then straightened up and wiped the blood dribbling down his chin.

Raditz also did the same, only he wiped his blood off with his thumb. He then winced at the stinging sensation in his jaw. "Damn, green man. Is it just me or are you starting to hit a lot harder these days?"

"Hmph," the demon of a warrior grunted as he turned his shoulder to the warrior. "It probably seems that way because I'm upping my levels every chance I get." He then narrowed his eyes on the warrior and smirked. "If I'm going to be fighting against your comrades in a few months' time, then I'm going to make sure I'm as ready as I can be. So if I were you, I'd watch my back. Otherwise I might just end up killing you by accident during one of our spars."

"Same to you," the long-haired mercenary stated, his own foul smile remaining as he glared across at his training partner. "I don't plan on letting myself get undone either. By you, Kakarot, or any of his friends." Though the two of them had agreed to work with one another, it didn't mean that the relationship between them was any good.

Obviously there was still a great deal of distrust between Piccolo and Raditz. Not to mention there was a lot of problems between the human contingent of the Z-fighters and their alien visitor. While they were working with one another now, once this whole Saiyan problem was over and done with, there was no telling what would happen afterwards.

Whether Raditz decides to up and leave the planet was entirely up to him and how this next battle went. So until that time comes, the Dragon Team planned on keeping a wary eye on him.

Upon shooting smirks at one another, both Piccolo and his Saiyan partner broke off, each walking away to their respective sides of the Lookout. It was about this same time that the other Z-fighters stopped too, with Krillin rushing over to the side to grab the water bottles and towels that were lying there. After jogging back to Tien, Yamcha, Chiaotzu, Yajirobi and Launch, he quickly handed each of them a cloth.

"Here you are guys," the short man chuckled, keeping one for himself as soon as he'd passed around the towels.

"Thanks, Krillin," Tien sighed, flapping one open before proceeding to dry his face. Once he was done lathering his face, he was able to extend a hand in time to receive a bottle passed over to him from his teammate, Yamcha. "That was a pretty good round, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. You bet it was. I can't remember the last time I worked that hard. Not since the last tournament when I was training under Master Roshi," the scar-faced bandit replied, taking a swig from his bottle and gasping. "As soon as the two of us have caught our breaths, we're going again! What do you say?"

"Heh. Sounds good," Tien replied with a grin, at the same time flicking the towel over his shoulder. "Let's change it up this time. Take it to the air?"

While everyone was busy patting themselves on the backs and congratulating each other, Launch, who was about to crack open her bottle of water, noticed Raditz walk over to the other side of the Lookout and sit down on the very edge of it. Seeing he didn't have anything with him, not even a towel, and that he was all by himself and looking pretty beat up, the blonde woman in the blue training T, wrist bands, spandex pants, and boots, glanced down at her bottle before glaring back over at the Saiyan.

After a moment of thought and listening to her friends chatting amongst themselves, the former thief and renowned gunslinger decided to throw caution to the wind and walked over to where Raditz was sitting.

The Saiyan mercenary, with one leg dangling over the side of the palace platform, groaned as he massaged his sore forearms and chin. Feeling the stinging sensation of multiple bruises and damaged muscles resonate back to him, Raditz then shook his head and scoffed to himself a little.

"Damn. Even though I've gotten a lot stronger that freak is still able to keep up with me," the warrior muttered to himself, removing one of his wrist weights and setting it beside him. "What the heck is his deal?"

"Maybe it's because he's determined to beat your brother someday," a woman's voice spoke from behind, causing Raditz to jump a little and glance behind him. When he did, he saw the cool-form of Launch standing in his blind spot, a towel slung over her shoulder and a bottle of water in hand. The moment he noticed her, the female huntress smirked. "Careful. You might fall off."

Blinking, Raditz then noticed where exactly he was sitting and grunted. "Hmph. You guys might actually like that- seeing the big, bad alien invader fall to his death." He then let a somewhat amused smile cross his lips. "It's not like I blame you. After all, I did kill your friend."

"Yeah. True. I mean, personally I wanted to shoot you the second I saw your face up here on the Lookout," Launch remarked, causing the Saiyan to give her a bit of a dirty look, especially when she smiled back at him. "But, after hearing what you had to say to us, I realized it would be better to save the bullets."

"Hmph. Well… I'd say that's a smart choice," Raditz replied, closing his eyes as he reached up to rub the back of his neck. Feeling his bones click a little as he stretched it, the warrior then glanced behind him again. "So… what's this about the green man wanting to beat Kakarot one day?"

"Oh. _That_," Launch chuckled, at the same time waving a hand in the air in front of her. "Piccolo and Goku have had this rivalry going on between them for years now. Ever since the spiky haired runt killed the green guy's father and wiped out all of his children ages ago, Piccolo has been determined to beat Goku and kill him. After that… well… he plans on taking over the world and building some sort of kingdom, I don't know. I didn't really pay attention to that part." When she looked back at Raditz and saw the somewhat owlish look he was giving her, the blonde woman shrugged. "It's a long story. You can ask the others about it." She then leaned forward and held out the bottle of water to the guy. "Here. You look like you could use it."

Blinking at the plastic bottle being offered to him, the Saiyan hesitant reached up and took it. Slowly remembering his manners, the long-haired mercenary nodded to the blond girl. "Th-Thanks." When he saw her grin and turn to walk away, Raditz- feeling as though he had some sort of chance- quickly held up his hand. "Hold on. About Kakarot… I mean… Goku. What was he like with you guys?"

Stopping and looking back at the man in surprise, Launch tilted her head. "You want to know a bit more about your little brother?" When she saw the Saiyan nod, the woman turned her head upwards and made a murmuring sound. "Hmm. Well… from what I can remember of him, the guy was the bravest, strongest, and kindest man I'd ever met. My other half thought so too, based on what the others told me." She then looked back at Raditz and smiled at him. "Goku was so great that he defeated every single creep, monster and demon that crossed his path… even Piccolo over there."

Glancing across at the Namekian standing on the other side of the Lookout, the long-haired man blinked. "Is that so?" No wonder the green guy had such a great deal of contempt towards his sibling.

"Yeah. You can ask the guy yourself," Launch chuckled, placing a hand on her hip while giving the man a wide smile. "Goku wasn't just a great fighter, but he was a very loyal and honorable warrior at the same time. That's not something you'd find in a lot of men these days… especially ones as strong as that guy was." Noticing the incredibly impressed look that came upon Raditz's expression, the woman then gave him one last smile before waving him off. "Anyway… good luck with your training. You're gonna need it." She then headed back over to where the others were standing, noticing that some of the boys had been watching her interaction with Raditz.

The Saiyan warrior meanwhile was floored in a way. Upon hearing this little nugget from Launch, giving him an extra glimpse into what his younger sibling had been through while on this planet, and sensing the great deal of respect and admiration the woman had for him, the lone mercenary was left to ponder. Not just over his brother's choices, but also his experiences as well.

Needless to say, there was a lot to process.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	9. Raider Saga - Saiyans in Space

**Dragonball Z**

_**Alter Age**_

_Saiyans in Space_

(Meanwhile)

(Somewhere in deep space)

Orbiting one of the countless stars making up the Messier 82 galaxy, millions of lightyears away from the _Milky Way_, a large orange planet could be found drifting through the vacuum. Guarded by a single moon, as well as a dozen other planets caught in the same gravitational well of the system's sun, the planetoid known as Quaren was currently serving as the base of operations for a very unpleasant host.

Down on the main continent, far away from the oceans and situated in the center of a large winding river running down from the mountains, sat an enormous metropolis the likes of which could not be found on Earth. Surrounded by a twenty story high, steel wall encompassing the entire perimeter of the megacity, a forest of thousands of spires and towers could be seen jutting out of the city streets. And positioned along every landscape face side of each of these buildings and skyscrapers, pointed the barrels of hundreds upon hundreds of laser cannons of all shapes and sizes.

Mounted turrets, anti-aircraft guns, anti-tank guns, long-range cannons, missile launchers, and a vast array of other futuristic weapons powered by cables were currently pointed in every direction away from the city. It was almost like someone had taken the defense designs for the metropolis and decided to go full ham with it, while at the same time attempting to break the record of how many guns they could fill the entire town with.

And better yet, while the entire layout of the metropolitan area made it look like some sort of huge military base, it was in fact the capital city of the planet. The brains behind this fiendish design of course lay with the warlord, who had taken over the capital and, by extension, the entire planet with his forces.

Speaking of which, standing along the very wall over the western gate of Quaren's capital city- surrounded by hundreds of armed soldiers dressed in full white and grey battle armors- dressed in red, princely robes decorated with elegant, golden trim and badges, and sporting an officer's cap of a matching design, was the main man himself. The olive-skinned, scaly face of a reptilian humanoid with big red eyes- the left of which was a cybernetic implant- could be seen gazing over the fields in front of him with a big grin on his face.

The reason for this was simple. He was happy. _Joyous_ even. So overwhelmed by the sheer ingenuity and majesty of his city's defensive systems that he was practically overflowing with pride. The fact that he was the one that masterminded almost every facet of its birth that you could say that the city itself was his child.

And since almost every single person within his capital's walls had willingly joined his cause with the promise of conquering the entire system with his newly constructed super weapon, you could say he was at the height of his power.

The warlord chuckled to himself as one of his officer's- a warrior in white and grey armor with golden marking signifying him as a Colonel- scanned the surrounding desert landscape with his binoculars. "Magnificent, isn't it?!"

"Is what, sir?" the officer asked as he continued his reconnaissance.

"_This_! All of it!" the tall warlord exclaimed, at the same time throwing his arms out grandly- gesturing to both the city and the planet. "To think that we would have the entire world and system under our heel in such a short amount of time?! Now that the entire population has been enlisted into our cause, we can finally start making moves on the _Planet Trade Organization's_ territories! The illustrious Cold Family Empire!"

Hearing this, the Colonel behind the full, face-visor styled helmet murmured in a half-interested manner. "I'm sure the men and women can't wait, sir."

"They'll see! They'll _all_ see! Exactly how far a man's ambition and ingenuity can take his people!" the warlord exclaimed, lowering his arms and folding them under the red cape draping over his body. "With the anti-planetary cannon in our hands, we'll be able to traverse the entire cosmos, taking over planet after planet! Unchecked! Unopposed! And we'll do it all from here- right from our citadel of power! _Our_ capital! The jewel of my new kingdom!"

"I'm positively brimming with anticipation, sir," the Colonel answered, practically half-listening to his leader's excited ramblings and exclamations of conquest.

"No one will be able to stop us. No one. Not even Frieza and his family." It was then a wide grin of excitement stretched over the warlord's lips as his cybernetic eye glinted brightly. "I wonder how many of his men the little tyrant will send to try and stop us. We've got so much firepower these walls are laser shielded. He can't take this capital… not in a million years." The mad leader then reached up and scratched his chin. "He'll probably send… uhh… fifty elite soldiers. The emperor will need at least that many. Or maybe even a hundred elite warriors- led by the Ginyu Force themselves! He'll never be able to take this fortress with less! Frieza will probably have to come down here with his whole damn army to bring us down himself! Hahaha!" The thought made the warlord cackle- a sense of total power and invincibility overtaking his mind.

From where he stood, he had every reason to believe that his army and his fortress were unbreakable.

That was until the Colonel beside him spoke up.

"I have a visual," the armored officer spoke.

Almost immediately the cyborg warlord's expression changed from cocky to alarm. "Frieza's Army?!"

"I think so," the Colonel answered.

"How many?! A THOUSAND?!"

"No."

The warlord glanced across at his subordinate quizzically. "Eighty?"

"No, sir."

The man's expression squinted, "What… fifty?"

"Less."

"… Forty? Come on, how many?!" the warlord asked while throwing his arms out exasperatedly.

The Colonel paused for a moment while still staring through his electronic binoculars. "One."

"WHAT?!" the warlord exclaimed in disbelief, before reaching over and grabbing the viewing piece off of his soldier. "Give me those!" He then slapped them over his eyes and peered through them, his gaze zooming in on the desert in front of him in an effort to locate the 'one' lone soldier that his officer had managed to spy through the clouds of dust billowing across the wasteland.

When the scopes on his device managed to locate the single lifeform registering on the scanner, the warlord was able to enhance his view of the individual's location and hone in on him. Upon tracking him to a small hill elevated in the middle of the ocean of earth, the ruler of the planet and the solar system saw a lone, adult male with blue skin, blonde hair, wearing purple spandex and white chest armor with a single accented shoulder, standing out in the open. The sight of the person staring back at him from his spot caused the warlord to lower the binoculars and cock an eyebrow in confusion- having no idea who it was or what he was looking at.

Having made his presence known, Salza- his left hand held up and pressing the scanning button of his scouter- was just in the process of doing a complete scan of the metropolis in front of him. Upon seeing the numbers being calculated on his screen stop, giving him an accurate readout of the force currently huddled up behind the wall, the Captain of the squad chuckled in amusement.

"How nice of all of them to gather in one location. Makes this job so much easier," Salza remarked cheerfully, his scouter getting a layout of all the weapons visible on the spires turning and pointing in his direction. Upon hearing all the metallic buildings click and clank as the cannons were locked and loaded, the completely calm commander then pressed the button on his scouter again, deactivated the scanner, and then turned his gaze skywards. At that moment, a new number appeared- this time in a set of three. "Alright, Neiz. Coordinates have been locked and targets marked. Bring the rain."

"_**Yes, sir,"**_ the man's amphibian teammate squawked back over the comm.

Almost a second after is squad mate's response, there was a loud thunderclap overhead, which almost instantly drew the warlord and his entire forces' attention skywards. When their eyes turned to the clouds drifting above them, they saw a shockwave fill the sky before a sleek, white space vessel in the shape of a leaf blade with viewing ports along its hull jumped out of hyperspace directly above the city.

Safe inside the cover of clouds, the large corvette then slowed its flight to a crawl, allowing its third hangar door beneath its body to slide open. The moment the bay was exposed, four small figures suddenly dropped out and began plummeting towards the city. The moment the group HALO jumped from the ship's undercarriage, their craft then fired up its engines and flew on- leaving the airspace and allowing the cargo it'd released to continue plummeting towards the fortress.

As the four jumpers dove through the layer of clouds, the group spaced out their formation- revealing themselves to be none other than Neiz, Dore, Myra, and Gohan- all suited up with scouters locked onto their target below. After falling for several stories and reaching a suitable height, the group then threw their arms and legs out, gave a quick burst of ki, and stopped themselves mid fall.

Able to see every single structure and landmark clearly from their altitude, the group then righted themselves, cocked their hands back, and charged.

Myra then grinned when she marked out all of her targets. "Okay, boys! Let them have it!"

The moment she gave the order, all four airborne members of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_ unleashed hell- unleashing a rain of energy blasts down upon the city. In a matter of seconds the entire sky above the metropolis became filled with brilliant streaks of hot, golden light, as the four members of the elite attack squadron began rapid fire destroying and leveling every single major structure and complex in sight.

Explosions and fireballs quickly began erupting all around the fortress capital, as one after the other entire blocks, bunkers and superstructures were battered by the barrage of attacks and sent cascading to the ground in a shower of molten metal and rubble. Though the barrage seemed completely random from the perspective of Salza on the ground, the group's attacks were all targeted and accurate. First the blasts took out the anti-air defenses. Then they started working on the ground forces, taking down each tower and spire with surgical precision.

The enormous army of hundreds of thousands of troopers scattered throughout the megacity all began ducking for cover, their screams of terror being drowned out by the deafening rumbling of explosions and the unending rain of energy lasts cascading down on them from the clouds. Though the forces attempted to aim all of their cannons and weapons on the four warriors hovering in the sky, the members of the squadron simply took them out, incinerating every single one of their weapons with pinpoint accurate attacks.

As the entire city was engulfed in an inferno and all of their major batteries were taken out, Neiz, Dore, Myra and Gohan continued firing- softening up their target as much as they could. Once they were sure that every major turret and emplacement had been wiped out, the four of them stopped, allowing the last of the explosions to ring out and the flames caused by the collapsed and decimated buildings to belch into the air.

Seeing smoke starting to billow up from the center of the city, the four floating fighters smirked down at their handiwork, with Gohan looking especially jazzed up at being able to join in on such a sporadic bombing attack.

Dore chuckled at that sight of the partially leveled city and the fires he could see raging below. "Attention to detail. That's why we're the best. Am I right?" the man asked while glancing across at his compatriots.

"You said it." With the ground mostly cleared, Neiz then turned to his companions and grinned broadly. "Alright. You all know the objective. Find the main weapon under the city, destroy it… but don't damage the countryside outside of those walls. Let's clean up this mess." His eyes then focused in on Gohan, who he saw glance in his direction. "Kid, you take point."

The raven haired youngster smiled and nodded. "Yes, sir." Powering up so that his white aura sprang around him, the child then shot down towards the ground, closely followed by Myra and Dore, and then Neiz.

When he saw his companions begin diving towards the city from a distance, the patiently observing Salza smirked before, with a quick power up as well, shot up into the sky and towards the burning community. Quickly falling into their formation as the group descended through the clouds of smoke and embers, the group then splashed down in the town square. Performing textbook super hero landings, the five of them landed in a defensive circle with their backs turned to one another. Once they'd touched down, they then stood up, where they soon found themselves confronted by a legion of soldiers- who had managed to pick themselves up and survive the barrage that heralded the group's landing.

As the enemy soldiers quickly formed up and trained blasters on the squad of five soldiers, one of the captains at the front- his armor cracked and charred in places- shouted across at them. "Who… who the hell are you guys?!"

Realizing that they were being addressed, Salza grinned at the soldiers standing around him- all the while the rest of his team remained perfectly defensive and ready for action. "We're the instruments of justice- here to cleanse this world of the virus that has taken over and corrupted its people." The moment he said this, the captain and the rest of his squad then struck the same three poses in sequence. The first a one-legged stand with a knee and arm raised and one arm over the chest. The second a sideways lunge with both arms pointed to their right. And lastly the exact same fighting pose, with one fist held back at temple level and the other extended in front of them- their fingers curled into claws. "Surrender now, villains!" Salza shouted, while then straightening both hands into chopping positions. "For we are here!"

"The best of the best!" Dore shouted while jumping on the spot and assuming a grappling stance.

"The enforcers of righteousness!" Myra shouted, while stepping into a sideways stance with her hands extended in a graceful, tai chi like fighting pose.

"The protectors of truth!" Neiz followed up while swapping from orthodox to southpaw and tucking both hands at his sides in a heartbeat.

"The guardians of all that is good!" Gohan finished, curling one hand in front while sliding a foot out and drawing back his right hand into a stance reminiscent of his father's _Nanlongquan_ (Southern Dragon Fist). "We are-"

"_**Cooler's Armored Squadron!**_" the entire group chanted at once, imagining epic music swelling in the background as one of the burning buildings nearby suddenly exploded and sent a shower of rubble and fire cascading all around them. It was a heroic moment that would've only ever been seen in cinema, in which the entire group stood back to back, locked in their trademark fighting poses, and facing down the barrels of a hundred enemy guns.

It was glorious. But most importantly to Salza and his crew- it looked cool.

While the soldiers at first looked completely and utterly stunned by the impromptu dance choreography the group unexpectedly performed, after seeing the embers of the burning buildings finish falling around them, the wounded captain with the white rifle raised his weapon and shouted.

"KILL THEM!" the man bellowed, before he and the rest of his troops opened fire.

Undeterred by the barrage of laser bolts shooting towards them, the five members of the Armored Squadron grinned before, with a resounding shockwave and a blast of wind, they rocketed forward. Dodging or deflecting the initial wave of blaster fire, the group tore into the platoons of soldiers surrounding them and began beating them down in droves.

More explosions and thunderclaps started echoing around the city, as in five separate directions the team of elite warriors began cutting through all the enemy troops lying in their path.

Salza cut through swaths of soldiers with the energy blades on his arms.

Neiz bounced between dozens of men and women at once at blitzing speed- taking them out in an instant.

Dore smashed his way through walls and still-standing defensive platforms with barely any effort, at the same time dropping enemies to the ground one after the other without slowing down.

Myra danced between squads of men, wiping them out with strikes from a red energy whip that she conjured out of the air.

And Gohan, in typical, eager Saiyan fashion, barreled through rivers of troops at a furious pace, grinning and growling all the while. He hammered, punched, kicked, kneed, and smashed his way through every turret and soldier that stood in his way, all of whom were determined to gun him down and put an end to his life. However, as he deflected and dodged every single shot fired his way, the excited, fast-moving child fought on, completely enthralled at the various obstacles and challenges surrounding him.

This was the kind of fighting he'd been waiting for. This was the kind of conflict he'd been dreaming about.

The action. The destruction. The rush. It was all so much fun!

In that moment, as he punched down a big, beefy soldier in armor and blasted a sniper hiding in a nearby building immediately afterwards, Gohan knew right then and there that this was where he belonged! This was what he was born to do!

And he couldn't have been any happier!

With his teammates Myra and Dore also coming over to join him and help fight off a new wave of troops that came pouring out onto the streets from several hidden bunkers, Gohan knew he'd found his calling. And he kept at it until the remaining army defending the city surrendered and their warlord of a leader was brought down, all within the span of an hour.

* * *

(Over the next few months)

That very first mission where he and his team brought down the fortified capital city on the planetoid Quaren, marked the first of many more expeditions and assignments Gohan would eventually go on as a member of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_. What's more, not only were the next dozen jobs even more exciting and eventful than the first one, but as time went on the boy not only grew smarter and stronger, but also became more and more informed of the wider universe around him.

It was like the parts of his life that he'd been previously missing- those feelings of emptiness and a need to explore, to grow and to learn- was being filled by this new life that he'd adopted. You could say that he'd been enlisted into it against his own free will. But the truth of the matter was that Gohan had wanted to become a part of it, because he was curious to see what else the wider world and the space around him had to offer.

He just hadn't been able to put these subconscious thoughts into words. Now he could.

Following their conquest of the planet Quaren, in which Gohan and his team were able to vanquish the warlord Gunnird and destroy the planet-busting superweapon he had hidden beneath his citadel, the group immediately contacted Emperor Cooler about the success of their mission. Upon informing their leader of their accomplishment, the man congratulated all of them for a job well done, particularly the young half-Saiyan, who had been the one to locate the super weapon beneath the city's main spire, confirm its location, and destroy it- with the assistance of Myra and Salza of course.

Learning about the boy's stellar success during that job was more than enough for the leader of the Cooler Force to give the team the green light to go for the next job. And from then on, the workload for the members of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_ quadrupled overnight.

In the months that came and went, the elite group set out on various planet scouting expeditions and battle assignments.

In the outer rims of the galaxies they explored, the group discovered whole new worlds and planets that could be sold on the planetary trade market, and immediately staked their claims over each and every one they encountered. They destroyed barren moons, space debris, and celestial bodies that were threatening to damage other habitable planetoids inside of the systems they were orbiting. And furthermore, aside from visiting existing and old worlds, they also inspected new planetoids that were just being formed around new, young stars. These little adventures to what would otherwise be known as frontier spaces proved to be the most peaceful excursions the group had on their list, which allowed the team plenty of downtime to rest between their more hectic, action-filled assignments.

The squadron was also dispatched by their emperor on political missions to already occupied worlds within the ruler's territory, where the squad went either in pairs or as a unit to inquire about the resources and supplies that the populations under their emperor's banner were producing for the Cooler Force. As an added instruction, the group also visited these worlds with the intent of collecting reports on the condition of the world for their emperor, as well as the status of the communities dwelling on each one. For a majority of the sovereign systems they inspected, the governments and vassals presiding over them passed with flying colors.

Then there were the conflicts the squad needed to quell.

Like in any other well-designed machine, there were cogs that needed replacing, fixing, turning, or removal. Hindsight of course was twenty-twenty, and the elite fighters of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_ received the jobs of handling these cogs in spades.

Pirates raided their emperor's borders.

Mercenaries attacked villages and cities.

Rebels built strongholds on the edges of multiple systems, which they would then use as bases of operation to attack cargo shipments and communities under the PTO's control.

And dangerous, semi-sentient monsters of unknown origins and species would suddenly appear and ravage various settlements- terrifying the inhabitants.

Salza and his team were frequently sent to all of the places suffering from these problems in order to protect the civilians and stop the rogue groups from attacking their planets. The battles that they waged ranged from small to major- where the squad executed interceptions in space, aerial battles within the atmosphere above planets and small moons, or full-on ground assaults, where they took their fights directly to the enemy. In the six months they spent participating in these many tours, there were very few times where the group needed to sneak in or slip through anywhere. But whenever the situation did call for stealth, it was usually the most experienced crew members that were sent in first.

Gohan would tag along on a couple of these outings to observe how they were done. After getting a good feel for them and seeing how these stealth-based jobs were executed, he was then sent on several scouting assignments of his own, which he was able to complete well and within his own terms.

For the team, there was plenty of action to be had and there was plenty of adventures to be shared. From planetoids, to space stations, to uncharted nebulas, there was just so much to see and do around the cosmos. And it wasn't just limited to the worlds scattered across all of space either.

* * *

(Three months after Quaren)

In the time that Gohan had spent wandering the _Comet_\- their group's newly established headquarters and mobile home- and hanging out with the elite team of soldiers he'd come to view as his teachers and friends, the demi-Saiyan was able to learn a great deal about both them and the new space they were living in.

While the ship appeared big and impressive from the outside, all of the modifications and design elements on the surface didn't even come close to revealing the rooms and facilities that were held within.

The bridge itself was the busiest location on the vessel- not only containing the largest window for the captain and crew to see out of, but towards the back and away from the main viewing deck, there sat a large, circular, hologram table where the members of Cooler's elite squad would frequently gather around, view transmissions from their emperor, and go over the information of their next missions.

Every time there was a job, the team would assemble here and review it. This made this room the most important and used area of the _Comet_.

Then there were the others. Along the main hallway that looped around the entire craft, which provided access to every part of the brand new ship, there were dozens of rooms and chambers that served different functions. The biggest one was the hangar. Not only did it have two main doors on the left and right side of the vessel, which could allow smaller ships and supply carriers to dock within the _Comet_, it also had a third door below, which could open and allow the members of Cooler's squadron to drop in on an enemy's territory whenever the captain- Shira- steered the corvette over a target zone. The hangar also featured a holding rack for multiple _Attack Balls_ and escape pods, which the squadron could use either for emergencies or to go on individual scouting missions away from the ship. This meant that the vessel could be left alone in one location while the team could widen their search patterns to certain areas of space.

Beyond the hangar, the engine rooms and the supply rooms, the ship also had a mess hall- where the squad and ship's staff would go to eat- a medical room containing two healing pods, a bar for rest and recreation, and bunk rooms reserved for each active member of the team, including several extra ones for passengers. These extra additions and allowances meant that the squad of powerful warriors didn't need to have shared spaces, and could finally sleep in their own chambers with their own personal possessions on display, which they'd managed to collect from every world they'd visited.

Gohan had surprisingly amassed quite the collection of stuff and put it on display in his chambers, including small computers, trinkets, and interesting souvenirs and prizes he was able to find on the planets they stopped at.

There was also the washroom facilities and, towards the front of the ship behind another supply room, there was also a small training room. It was in this place the members of the squad could work out and get some extra training in, which the hybrid frequented quite a lot with Myra to build up on his skills and techniques. It was a pretty convenient little setup to have and allowed for the elite squad members to relax and burn off some stress during moments of levity.

On this particular day though, Gohan had decided to hang out with Myra in the bar. Sitting by the main viewing port that stared out into space, the pair sat across from one another at a small table- with the demi-Saiyan sitting cross-legged and the Hera leaning forward in a more normal position. Both of them had their armors removed and were only wearing their spandex uniforms, meaning that while the boy appeared more normally dressed, the blue-skinned beauty looked as though she was going to the gym- due to the fact she had a tight tank top and bloomers.

The game that they were currently playing though didn't involve any physical moving on their parts. It was actually a little board game that the adolescent had bought on one of the sovereign worlds they'd visited. From what Gohan was able to make of it, the game was very much like _Othello_. However, it had a very alien name to it that differentiated it from the one that originated from Earth.

Since it played practically the same way, the boy was able to pick it up almost instantaneously. This was made apparent after the boy flipped over the last black disk, leaving the entire board covered in white pieces- ending with him as the dominant winner. Once he was certain all of them had been turned over, the child beamed back up at his Hera opponent, who he could see was staring down at the board with a rather disbelieving look on her pretty face.

"I win again," Gohan chuckled, at the same time holding out his hand, turning it over and wagging his fingers. "Pay up."

Myra blinked as she stared at the battlefield incredulously. "Five minutes… holy shit." She then looked up at the child and gave him an amused grin. "What are you? Some kind of strategy monster?"

The child chuckled at that comment while sticking his tongue out playfully. "Well… the last group of pirates we came across threw a few similar comments my way while I was beating them up, but I didn't really care much for them."

The teenage girl chuckled at the same time. "I'll bet." The Hera then raised her hands and grinned coyly at the boy. "Since you totally cleaned me out, do you think I could pay you back some other way?"

Scrunching his face up thoughtfully for a moment, the cheeky hybrid smiled. "How about another round of sparring in the gravity chamber later?"

Expecting this much from her Saiyan teammate and friend, Myra grinned. "We'll see."

At around this time, as the pair were about to relax over their sixth game of the day, the squadron leader Salza suddenly wandered over to their seats. Having previously been enjoying a drink at the bar and flirting with the one girl crew member on the other side in a manner that involved talking only about himself and how great he was, the captain then peered over Myra's shoulder to see what she and Gohan were up to.

When he noticed the game, the blond smiled. "Ah. _Keback_. A game involving strategy, tactics, and observation. I haven't played this one in a while." He then smirked and looked away. "Mostly because everyone I ever went up against back on the ship ended up losing and there was no one else left who could challenge me."

"Really?" Gohan asked, at the same time gazing up at the captain in amazement. Seeing the man nod caused the child to blink. "Wow. Did you ever play against Cooler-sama? I mean… does he usually play these kinds of games… or is he too busy with his planet-selling stuff?"

"Oh… I played against the young lord a couple of times," Salza replied, before then grinning back at the young man. "The last time he called me in for a game of _Keback_, I ended up edging him out by one game. I'm probably the only person who has ever won against the young emperor at anything… though it's not really something I should go bragging about." He then sniffed at the end while sticking his nose up in the air.

While Myra shook her head at the man's cocky expression, Gohan simply smiled up at him. "That must make you the best player in the entire galaxy then."

"Well… it's true I don't lose very often. I am, of course, a genius and a prodigy, with a sharp eye and an even sharper intellect," Salza responded, while also looking down at the boy proudly.

Upon staring up at her captain for a moment and then glancing between him and Gohan a couple of times, Myra's thoughtful expression then became one of mischief as she slowly stood up out of her chair. "Hey. Salza. How about you have a couple of rounds against the little man?"

The blond warrior blinked in surprise and pointed at himself with his hand, "Me?"

"Yeah. Gohan-kun has been taking me to town all afternoon with no signs of slowing down. I figured that since he's been doing so well against me, a new opponent with actual _Keback_ experience and a keen mind for tactics could probably show him a few tricks," the orange-haired tomboy said, stepping aside and clapping her superior in the shoulder. "You are the best, after all."

Feeling his pride stroked by his companion's coaxing, the blue-skinned Brench smirked back at the woman, took a swig from his red drink, before then sliding into the seat that the adolescent had been using. "Very well. Since you put it like that." He then clapped his hand against his leg and smirked across at Gohan, whose expression he saw transform into one of glee. "_I'll_ be your next opponent."

Practically bouncing in his seat, the grinning child with messy black hair and bright eyes nodded. "Okay!"

"You can do it, captain!" Myra chuckled, slapping her hands atop Salza's shoulders while standing directly behind him. The grin she had was very catlike as she watched Gohan pick up the board and pour all of the pieces off of it to the side. "Show this young upstart what you can do! Don't hold anything back!"

"Please," Salza scoffed while watching the boy across from his fix up the pile after setting the board down. "I won't even have to use a fraction of my brain power to outwit this little rascal." He then nodded to the child. "What color do you want?"

Gohan smiled. "I'll be white again."

"Very well," Salza replied, before reaching over and grabbing a disk. "Let us begin."

OOO

(Ten minutes later)

Gohan smiled down at the board proudly as he saw all sixty four white disks looking back at him. When he glanced up at where Salza was sitting, not only did he see a completely deadpanned expression on his face as he glared down at the board, but the boy also saw Myra standing directly behind the captain and trying to hold in fits of laughter.

Upon allowing his victory over the leader to sink in, the four-year-old youngster sitting cross-legged on the chair hopped up and down excitedly. "So, so? Want to play again, sir?"

Salza, eye twitching as he eyed the board, then glanced back up at Gohan and sneered. "Alright, monkey boy. You're on!" He then wordlessly picked up the board and dumped all of the pieces off with a loud clatter, which only caused Gohan to grin and Myra to almost fall over while holding back laughter.

While the captain begrudgingly challenged the remarkably smart and quick-witted child to another round of _Keback_, across the bar and over at another table- one that was completely different in design from the stools and desks set up around the rest of the room- another two members of the crew were engaged in their own game of wits. The players turned out to be Dore and the ship's gorgeous pilot Shira. While the former had removed his helmet and was sporting a tasteful black wife beater top, the female officer with orange skin and long, red hair was still dressed in her black one piece uniform and custom RIT armor with half-cut, accented shoulder pads.

The two of them were scratching their heads over a game that was completely different from the board that Salza and Gohan were fussing over. This one was being played over a black and white checkered, circular board, in which a collection of hologram aliens of different species were facing off against one another across the empty battlefield. With the fantastical characters on the board glaring daggers across at one another and wielding all sorts of unusual weapons, both Dore and Shira were taking a moment to think about their next move.

Well… more like Shira was waiting for her opponent to take his turn, as the female lieutenant currently had her foe on the back foot.

"You okay?" the redhead asked with a cheeky grin.

The green Beppa-seijin inhaled sharply while rubbing his bottom jaw with his hand. "I'm fine," he answered shortly. After a few seconds, he then reached forward and prepared to press one of the buttons on the side of the circular, alien chessboard.

Shira, seeing where his hand was going, nodded. "Yes. Do it. You want to make that move. You want to make that move," she repeated, gently encouraging the elite warrior to press the button needed to get his piece into action. A few seconds of waiting later, she saw the warrior engage the switch, which caused the blue Frieza-look-a-like on the board to float forward and land in the center square. "You made that move. Okay." She then reached down and pressed a button on her side, which caused the large, golden Oozaru creature on her end of the board to stomp forward to the same center square, grab Dore's Frieza avatar, and pick it up. "I guess I'll just have to destroy that little guy."

Jaw dropping, Dore then watched in complete dismay as the big, golden monkey shook the tiny Frieza like a ragdoll a couple of times, before then brutally slamming him into the ground, killing him. The squeals and sound effects generated from the board's speakers made the kill seem all too real, with Shira watching with incredible satisfaction as her piece managed to secure the middle ground.

"Heh. Somehow I never get bored of winning," she said, at the same time seeing her Oozaru bang its chest in a very primal manner.

"RAGH! DAMN IT!" Dore cursed, swinging his arm across at the hologram pieces and striking the electronic board. When his arm skidded over the platform and caused the machine to rattle and spark, the alien saw all the characters shimmer yet remain perfectly in place, which caused him to recoil in alarm.

The pilot Shira shook her head in amusement at the man's reaction. "Dude. You can't wipe them off. They're holograms."

Apparently Salza wasn't the only one being taken to school that afternoon.

* * *

Spending time on the _Comet, _interacting with his teammates, taking to them, and observing them, allowed Gohan to find out more about them, their histories, and their respective characters. He also got to find out more about the other soldiers tagging along with them too, including the main engineer and the pilot, Shira- who the boy also took a strong liking to due to her personality, intelligence and knowledge of the wider galaxies.

More importantly of course, the time he spent with his squad mates on mission and during their free time allowed the boy to not only develop a greater understanding of their individual personalities and interests, but also their physical capabilities and talents.

Though the four members of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_ were clearly weaker than their leader- Emperor Cooler- Salza and his crew were still by far and away the strongest and most versatile soldiers on the force. And while each of them were strong individually and more than capable of fighting on their own, they were undoubtedly at their most powerful when they were working as a team. As a group they were able to cover the individual weaknesses of the other members and allow their respective strengths to become more prominent.

You could argue that this was true in the case of any group of people. But it was especially true in the case of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_. They all fought at different distances with different ranges of power- despite the fact they could all synchronize their movements really well- used unique approaches to combat, and were each proficient in some sort of distinctive energy manipulation.

Dore was a man built like a tank, who possessed a great deal of striking and grappling power, and liked to get up-close and personal with his opponents. Specializing in takedowns, clinching, and throwing techniques- the man could generate concussive shockwaves by merely stomping his feet, level entire areas of land with a basic body slam, and kill a person with a single toss. Based on what Gohan was able to learn from him, the Beppa-seijin was a big, beefy meathead who adored wrestling and working out- as demonstrated by his skills on the battlefield and sessions in the training room. Despite all of that however, the warrior's energetic, tough-guy attitude and delinquent personality was something that the demi-Saiyan quickly grew to admire and enjoy, and he was able to have a lot of fun training with the alien.

What was interesting though was, despite being physically the toughest member in the squad, Dore was still the weakest- and based on how the others teased him on a regular basis, it was by a pretty noticeable margin too.

Neiz was a short to medium-range fighter, specializing in speed, dodging, and swarming attacks over guard breaking and brute strength. In terms of combat capabilities, he was the complete opposite of Dore. Aside from being the quickest member of the team, he also possessed the most unorthodox style of fighting Gohan could remember ever encountering. The amphibian could distort his body to avoid different types of attacks- including retracting his head, arms and legs- showcasing a very flexible bone and organ structure. He also had a ridiculous amount of reach with his punches and kicks due to his height, and could even conjoint his limbs to slip punches through a person's guard. He was also the proprietor of the flashiest attacks in the entire group, as the Zalt-seijin could effortlessly change the element of his energy from neutral to electrical- allowing him to stun lock multiple enemies at once or decimate entire landscapes with a shower of lightning. By utilizing the element in conjunction with his own body, he could also increase his already insane speed, allowing him to whiz about the battlefield and prevent any attacks from making contact with him.

This was something Gohan found out for himself the hard way during his sparring matches with the amphibian… an experience that he quickly learned to adapt from.

Due to being the most normal acting member of the group, the hybrid was able to get along with Neiz really well. All appearances to the contrary, the amphibian was a very decent and pleasant person to speak with, and he was able to find out about the guy's family, and that he was in fact one of the strongest people to come from his race. While Dore's attitude could be somewhat insufferable for the others, the Zalt-seijin seemed to help balance it out, same as with their sole female team member.

Speaking of which, while being the only girl on the group, Myra was something else altogether. She was a smart, mid to long-range warrior, who had a very graceful fighting style emphasizing counter attacking and pressure point striking in place of raw power and aggression- though she could still hit quite hard whenever the situation called for it. To coincide with her elegant form of combat, she was also incredibly observant and clever. She could practically dissect any attack and technique she saw in a matter of minutes, and as soon as she figured out how things worked, she would then do everything she could to efficiently exploit their weaknesses. This showed that she was a very tactical and technical minded fighter. Like her teammates, she could manipulate her energy in a very unique way by altering the compound and chemical structure of her ki. This allowed her to form various shapes and weapons out of it, including lances, whips, ropes, and a translucent bubble field that could stop an enemy's or an attack's movements in their tracks.

She was also the calmest and most soothing presence on the team, despite being a real tomboy out in public. Gohan loved hanging out with her the most, as she gave him a lot of encouragement for his development, chatted with him day and night, and provided various stimulating activities to do in his off time. The Hera was also a great source of wisdom, providing the demi-Saiyan with all the information he needed to function and survive in the Cooler Force. Hell, she'd even stepped up to defend him multiple times from big alien soldiers that wanted to pick on him back on the ship.

Those brutes quickly learned not to mess with him, as not only was Gohan stronger than them, but he was also in the company of the most infamous group in the cosmos.

Then finally there was Salza- the leader of their ragtag force of justice. Though smug, clever, and most of the time very full of himself, the man was not to be underestimated. In terms of martial arts, while the Brench could handle himself at all ranges- he was most comfortable at mid to long-range. He had a very versatile skillset- being able to fire multiple beams from all his fingers at once, create homing blasts that could track their targets, and launch clusters of energy disks with a single swipe of his hand. He also had a very unique ability of being able to compress and sharpen his ki, which could generate slicing blades around his hands and legs, and even around his entire body to protect himself from oncoming attacks. On top of having a very keen mind for strategy, Salza was clearly the smartest out of all his teammates, which was made notable by the fact that he was proficient in over 7000 languages and could cook up attack plans on the fly with very little prep time.

Spending time with him allowed Gohan to see why he was made captain of the squad. The guy was a prodigy and a genius in almost every facet of military life. He had a very clean and gentlemanly fighting style, in which he favored facing his foes head on and challenged them to fair and honorable duels, and had a very interesting bravado. However, despite his proper approaches to combat, the man was also capable of stealth take downs and assassinations, just like the rest of his compatriots.

Working together and utilizing their respective traits, every member of the squadron was able to teach Gohan the skills he needed to fight and survive on the battlefield, with each one helping the child to build his techniques and grow over the months he had to spend with them.

And thanks to all the days the boy spent cruising about the stars with the team on the ship, the bonds he developed and the friendships the hybrid had built grew stronger and stronger with every journey.

Though the true strength of it remained completely unknown to him, it wasn't until one fateful mission across one of the many Messier galaxy clusters, where the skills and grit of the newest member of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_ would truly be tested.

* * *

(Five months after Quaren)

(Galaxy Messier 81)

A loud alarm sounding out across the _Comet's_ bridge quickly drew the attention of all the personnel who were currently present on the main deck. While the pilot Shira remained at the helm of the vessel directly in front of the glass dome and keeping an eye on their ship's trajectory, Gohan and Neiz- who had been standing beside her and watching the whirlwind of hyperspace whipping past them in a brilliant array of blue and white clouds- quickly turned away from the sill and marched down the walkway between the bridge's two communication crew pits.

As they walked along the metal path, the petty officer soldier in the pit on their left straightened up in her seat and addressed the two elite warriors of the squadron walking past her post. "Incoming transmission from Lord Cooler's capital ship! It's the emperor!"

"Patch him through," Neiz replied, earning an affirmative nod from the soldier while he and Gohan kept right on marching.

Stepping off the walkway and arriving at the hologram table centered towards the rear of the bridge, both the Zalt-seijin and the half-Saiyan were shortly joined by Dore and Salza entering from the hall, while Myra was already present. When the five of them gathered up around the large, electronic platform that was already showing them a map of the star system their ship was cutting through, the female Hera jabbed a few buttons on the panel in front of her and spoke up.

"Projecting the feed now," the adolescent spoke, her eyes glancing up at the hologram as the chart faded. "Standby."

Moments after the star charts faded, a new hologram soon jumped up over the table, which projected the full body of their renowned and powerful leader, Cooler. The moment the alien prince's form appeared over the table, towering over them like a statue on a pedestal, the group of five squad members immediately dropped to one knee around the table and bowed to the lord. With their heads lowered and eyes closed, it was clear that even when not physically present in the room, they were sure to give the man the respect he deserved.

"_**Sire," **_the five warriors all greeted in unison.

Seeing his uniformed elite bowing in front of him, the alien tyrant with his arms behind his back and tail swishing behind him nodded, before then swinging a hand forward. _**"At ease." **_His instruction crackling over the receiver, the team quickly stood up and looked up at their ruler, who they then saw glance around at them. _**"I trust you are all well rested."**_ His gaze then set upon Gohan, who he saw was standing in front of him alongside Neiz. The moment Cooler's eyes fell upon him, the child stiffened. _**"And how goes our newest recruit?"**_

Sensing the question directed at him, the half-Saiyan youngster puffed his chest out and smiled, "Fitter and stronger than ever, sir."

Giving the youngster a hard look for a moment, the initially serious-looking emperor then had a smile tug across his dark lips, before he then honored the child with a nod. _**"I heard from Salza and Myra about the job you did on Florax 12. Good work. That was a high profile target. Not an easy planet to take." **_Hearing this praise being directed towards the hybrid initially stunned Dore and the others. But that bewilderment was not to last, for as soon as Cooler gave that small congratulations, his expression once again steeled. _**"Have you reached CP-179 of M81 yet?" **_

After a quick check of the computer terminal in front of him, Salza spoke up. "We're just coming up on the planet now, sir."

"_**Good. Be sure to check the system thoroughly and report back as soon as you've given the area a full sweep. I want this entire problem done away with as soon as possible,"**_ Cooler stated, his tail swishing behind him in a clear show of urgency.

It was at that point that Myra, for the sake of the crew and her squad, decided to address the question lingering over all of their minds. "Exactly what are we expecting to find out here, sir?"

The alien ruler glanced across at the Hera with a hard stare. _**"A few weeks ago, a transmission from one of my scouting parties in the outer rim territories informed me that the populations on two of our colonial planets had suddenly up and disappeared. When the soldiers investigated the areas in search for survivors, they discovered that both worlds had been completely stripped bare of all life and resources. Based on what I was able gauge from their reports, it was like the planets had been sucked dry by some otherworldly force… leaving nothing but lumps of useless rock floating through space."**_

With Dore and Neiz sharing worried looks with one another, and Gohan and Myra doing the same, Salza then spoke up next. "Was it some kind of freak famine? Or a cosmic storm?"

"_**No signs of any celestial anomalies were discovered. Nor was there the presence of any viral outbreaks or climate changes on the planets' surfaces,"**_ Cooler replied, his gaze switching over to his team's captain as the fingers on his unfolded right hand fiddled impatiently._** "All they reported was that the atmosphere and ground had been bled dry, and a massive, countrywide chasm had been left behind by whatever object had landed on those worlds."**_

Neiz, glancing at the star map in front of him, then looked back up at their ruler. "And… you suspect that whatever caused those colonies to disappear… is also responsible for this one dropping off the grid as well, sire?"

"_**That's right,"**_ Cooler answered, his eyes narrowing on the group and causing them all to straighten up. _**"Kikono noticed the pattern of decaying worlds resting along the galaxy's main hyperspace lane. I sent the scouts ahead to find out what it is, but none of them have reported back yet. Their scouters have stopped transmitting."**_

"Which means… the soldiers have either flown into a dead zone… or were killed by whatever turned those two worlds into dry, lifeless husks," Dore spoke, crossing his arms and scrunching his face up. "I don't like it."

"_**Your squad's mission is to find out the cause of these disappearances and to stop whatever is attacking my planets,"**_ Cooler stated, drawing the group's attention back up to him, allowing them to see the serious visage he was currently wearing. _**"If left unchecked, this phantom scourge drifting through the cosmos will likely cause more valuable planetoids to wither and die. I can't possibly make a profit off of a world that's already been used up."**_ The prince then raised his hand and pointed straight at Salza. _**"Spare no effort. Destroy this thing… whatever or whoever it is."**_

Hearing his leader's command loud and clear, the blond captain lowered his head and placed a hand over his chest. "By your will, sire."

The moment Salza made his response, Cooler gave one last, terse nod before ending the transmission. The moment the hologram of his form vanished and once again became replaced by the star chart that was being shown before, a loud beeping from the front of the bridge drew the squad's attention towards the main window.

Seeing red lights blinking around the pilot's control panel, Shira promptly engaged the terminal in front of her, while the two crew members in the pits behind her station began running final calculations through their systems too. With the members of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_ marching down the walkway to join the lieutenant at her post, the group made it in time to see the tunnel that was the hyperspace slipway begin slowing down around them, letting them know that they were approaching their destination.

"Coming up on CP-179, sirs," Shira called out, sensing the group of warriors stand alongside her with their eyes glued to the window. "Dropping out of hyperspace in three… two… one… now!"

There was a loud boom, followed by the brilliant tunnel of light dissipating all around them as the fast-moving _Comet_ slowed its speed and deposited itself in a completely new system. With the blackness of the vacuum replacing the whirling vortex of hyper speed and new constellations of stars appearing all around them, the five, fully armored members of Cooler's elite squad watched with serious, hard expressions as their ship pulled into orbit around the small moon that they'd appeared alongside.

As the corvette slowly drifted around the celestial body and towards the other half where the sun could be seen glowing from over the curvature of the satellite, Gohan and his team expected to find an ordinary terrestrial world waiting for them. When their ship eventually came around, the group certainly saw a planet.

But the thing that they saw sticking out of the planet's atmosphere had all of their jaws drop. Even Shira, who was busy making sure their ship didn't collide with the moon, felt her eyes bug out at what she saw floating in the distance.

"Y-Yo…" Dore stuttered, his arms unfolding as he stepped closer to the glass. "Is it just me… or do you guys see a giant tree growing out of the side of that planet?"

Neiz was also stumped. "If you're seeing it… than so am I."

Of all the things Gohan had seen up until this point- dragons, aliens, other worlds, multi-headed creatures, space ships, planets exploding, moons colliding, ancient ruins on faraway worlds- this was perhaps the most surreal and bizarre thing he could remember ever laying eyes on. Though it seemed completely and utterly impossible, the hybrid could in fact see a giant fig of ridiculously colossal size and scale, jutting out of the clouds and into the lower thermosphere of a planet.

The damn thing had to be about the size of a small moon.

While all of her teammates were gaping at the unbelievable monstrosity poking out of the world like some tumor, Myra- managing to close her jaw long enough to stop her brain from falling out, then narrowed her eyes on the planetoid and the freakish flora it was currently hosting.

"I… have a bad feeling about this."

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Author's Note:** So… while the Z-fighters have Vegeta and Nappa to worry about, guess who Gohan has to worry about?


	10. Raider Saga - Tree of Death

**Author's Note:** Hey there guys.

I've recently opened up an account on deviantart under my name 'TheWriteFiction' to display my work from the fanfictions and originals. If anyone is interested to see what the characters in story look like- such as Myra and what Gohan will look like after the seven year gap as an adult- I have posted sketches which I will color later.

Just look up my name on deviantart or through google, since the links on never work. Let me know what you guys think of the pictures and share them.

Also, let me know what you guys think of the story so far. :)

* * *

**Dragonball Z**

_**Alter Age**_

_Tree of Death_

(Several minutes later)

As the _Comet_ pulled into orbit above the terrestrial world of _Cooler Planet-179_ (CP-179), Salza and the rest of his squad were able to get a closer look at the massive tree growing out of its northern hemisphere. While the Captain remained next to the helm where the pilot Shira was steering the vessel, Gohan and Dore stood off to the side.

With the demi-Saiyan staring in awe at the massive fig poking out through the clouds, his fellow teammate remained beside him with his arms crossed and a rather perturbed expression in play.

"This has got to be some kind of joke, right?" the Beppa-seijin asked, before turning around and looking across the bridge, where he spotted Neiz and Myra standing by the hologram table on the other side of the walkway. "I mean, there seriously can't be a tree that big growing out of the side of the planet. Is that even physically possible?"

"Apparently, it is," Neiz answered, typing into the computer as he watched the electronic table in front of him do a full scan of the enormous, cosmic anomaly protruding out of the planetoid. With the computer giving a few beeping noises, a series of numbers and other results jumped up around the projection, which caused the amphibian to narrow his eyes.

The five-year-old Gohan, turning towards Salza, looked up at his captain inquisitively. "Have you ever seen anything like that before, sir?"

In response, the blue-skinned warrior shook his head, all the while keeping his finger and thumb thoughtfully clinched around his chin. "No. I haven't. I… don't think anybody has." Upon contemplating the sight of the object, then turned towards the hologram table at the back of the bridge and narrowed his eyes on his squad mates. "Talk to me, Myra. What exactly are we looking at here?"

The Hera shrugged as she saw the details jump up around the blue hologram of the massive tree. "Well… it's exactly what it appears to be, captain. There's a literal, giant floral structure of ungodly size and mass protruding out of the planet's surface. Deep thermal scans show that the tree has inserted itself into the planetoid's crust… and that its root system has spread throughout its whole interior, all the way down to the core." After pressing a couple more keys on the panel, the hologram of the tree zoomed out, showing a scan of the entire planet and the roots of said tree branching throughout its entire interior. "Judging from these images and numbers, the tree has wedged itself into the lithosphere and practically become part of the planet. So uprooting it is going to be impossible."

Frowning at this information, Salza then looked across at Neiz. "What about animals? People? Threats? Are we picking up any other signs of life down on that world?"

The amphibian cringed when he saw the numbers all across the screen. "The size of the tree and its massive bio signature is preventing the scouter from getting an accurate read of the area within its immediate proximity. But outer scans show that the rest of the planet, aside from a few animals I can see in the southern hemisphere, has been wiped clean. Other than that, there are no other life forms or people at all. Zip. Nothing."

"I'm not picking up any transmissions from the colony either," the female soldier in the crew pit spoke up, drawing the captain's attention down to the petty officer as she tinkered with the computer terminal she was posted at. "All main radio channels and outgoing frequencies are dead silent."

Salza blinked, "What about the scouts? Are we receiving anything from them?"

The young, humanoid alien girl with red skin and white hair quickly switched over to another monitor and narrowed her eyes on the screen. "It's faint, but the scanner is picking up a small emergency beacon echoing out from near the tree. It's registering on the Cooler Force's frequency."

"Confirmed. I'm picking it up over here as well," Neiz spoke up from the hologram table, alerting the captain's attention and drawing his gaze back over to him. "There's a small blip a few hundred miles southeast of the tree's trunk- just west of _Caratopi Ridge_ and CP-179's capital."

With a nod, Salza then uncrossed his arms. "Then that's where we'll begin our search," he said, before then focusing his attention on Myra. "What's the condition of the atmosphere?"

The young Hera straightened up from his post by the table and nodded, "Slightly stagnant, but it's breathable. It appears that while it was adapting to its surroundings, the tree altered the oxygen concentration levels of its host- forming its own micro climate and atmosphere around it. Probably explains how it was able to grow so large on such a small planetoid."

"Good," Salza replied, before then turning to Shira and nodding to the pilot. "Have the hangar officer Tol ready the _Attack Balls_ for launch and bring the ship over the beacon's location in the thermosphere above the planet. After you drop us off, move the _Comet_ behind the primary moon and keep it out of range for safety. Since we have no idea exactly what's waiting for us down there, I don't want to risk bringing the headquarters to ground."

Shira nodded, "Copy." She then glanced behind her at the communications officer in the pit below. "Comms Officer, Hangar Bay. Prepare five pods for low-orbital launch."

"Roger," the female soldier in the bay answered, before promptly getting in touch with her companion in the chamber below.

Instructions given, Salza then waved his hand towards Dore and Gohan, and proceeded to march down the walkway. "All squad members, with me! Let's get down there!" Giving affirmative nods, the other four members of the team quickly fell in step with their leader and began a quick march down to the hangar bays.

Though the group knew exactly what they were going, the hard truth was that neither of them knew exactly what kind of dangers or enemies- if any- were waiting for them.

OOO

(Several minutes later)

Across the field of colossal roots arcing and stretching out across the countryside at the base of the tree, halfway up the tower's gargantuan trunk, where the edifice's interwoven structure pushed and bulged outwards, there resided an enormous cave system. Hidden beneath the entanglement of wood and overhanging vines, this large, naturally constructed complex sat as a form of air catchment for the massive tree, which helped to maintain the tree's stability against environmental hazards.

It also served as the base of operation and meeting point for the men responsible for the tree's inception.

Standing beside a large, dome-shaped space craft resembling a massive _Attack Ball,_ a group of very intimidating looking aliens of various species could be seen gathered in the center of the cave complex and staring up at its ceiling. There, amidst the entanglement of branches making up the roof of the cave, they could see clusters of orange fruits growing above them.

These round, studded fruits didn't seem out of the ordinary. But considering how intently all of the armored warriors gathered in the cave were staring up at them, it was quite obvious that these items were quite important. You could even say that they were the very reason for why they'd planted the tree in the first place.

This fact was confirmed moments later when the smallest of the group- a plump, purple alien with an ovular, bald head, wearing dark combat armor with accented collar, light blue, bloused pants, and a blue scouter over his left eye- spoke up with a smile. "Looks like the fruits are growing quite well on this planet."

"Yes. Certainly a far better batch than the last two we had," the second tallest in the group- a humanoid male with a punk-rock look, consisting of dark-teal hair tied into a ponytail, wearing earrings and a necklace, and sporting full-body armor set with blue shoulder, torso, side and crotch guards- remarked with his arms crossed over his chest. "That must mean that this planet has an environment and atmosphere more suited for the _**Shinseiju**_ (Divine Essence Tree/Tree of Might) to grow. Not to mention a richer and fertile landscape."

"Well. That much was to be expected for a planet inhabited by a bunch of filthy, primitive, animal people," the largest of the group- a hulking man with tanned, reddish skin, brown hair tied into a braided ponytail, an 'x' shaped scar at the bottom of his broad jaw, and wearing red baggy pants, a pink scouter, and a set of custom RIT armor- said with a rather cocky grin in play. Eyes narrowing menacingly, the man then chuckled under his breath. "Do you remember how their warriors tried to blast and cut the tree's roots before we slaughtered them all? That was fun, wasn't it Daiz?"

"Heh. Not as much fun as those four scouts that the _Cooler Force_ sent to investigate the planet a couple days later," the mercenary with the punk-rocker look replied, before he then shook his head. "Pathetic. And I thought the soldiers in his army were a lot tougher than that."

"Well… they're about to become a whole lot more pitiful," the hulking warrior spoke again, placing a hand on his hip as he analyzed the fruits growing above them. "As soon as this next batch of fruit is done and we've finished harvesting and consuming them, we'll be able to increase our battle power tenfold. After that, no one in the universe will be able to stop us. Not even the mighty Cold family." He then looked across at the fourth man standing amongst them- a pinkish alien with a body covered in glistening silver armor and cybernetic components. "What do you think, Cacao?"

The robotic, alien warrior scoffed in a metallic sounding voice. "Sounds like a good plan. I can't wait."

"Heh. You and the rest of us," the big male chuckled, before once again looking towards the ceiling. "This time the fruits won't be small or sour. They'll be full grown, plump, and loaded with this planet's vitality… making us the most powerful group of warriors in the cosmos."

As the group was in the middle of daydreaming, thinking about how control of the universe was just within their grasps, the screens on all of their scouters suddenly lit up with numbers. With all four men balking at their units unexpectedly activating and letting out warning sounds, they then all turned in the direction the arrows were pointing, causing their eyes to turn towards the exit to the cave.

There, bursting through the cloud layer many miles away, they saw what looked like five small meteors suddenly break through the atmosphere. At first glance they didn't seem like something for them to be concerned about. But when the men moved over to the mouth of the cave and peered outside, they saw that the objects plummeting towards the planet's surface weren't bits of space debris- but _Attack Balls_.

Seeing them collide with the tree root quite a distance away, the four males' expressions quickly steeled.

"Looks like we've got more company," the mercenary Daiz spoke.

His hulking companion Amond clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Could be another group of scouts… or a recovery force sent here directly by Lord Cooler to look for their missing troops."

"Hmm," the robotic Cacao murmured as a thoughtful look crossed his bug-like face. "They must've picked up a distress signal transmitted by the first group before we slaughtered them." His scouter beeping erratically as it scanned the location of the pods' landing sight, he then saw the numbers stop crunching, before deactivating the unit altogether. "I don't think these are ordinary soldiers this time. These ones… they're strong."

At that moment, the short, purple warrior at the front turned around and back into the cave, where he then spoke to a fifth, hidden member of their group. "What should we do, Turles?"

When the rest of the group also turned towards the back of the cave where they'd previously been gathered, towards one of the chamber's many walls and cloaked in shadow, a fifth, armor-clad warrior could be seen sitting. Sporting a set of blue-grey and black combat armor with accented shoulder and side guards, a red lensed scouter, and sporting a muscular frame and spiky black hair styled in an eerily familiar manner, the clear leader of the group stared back at the group and towards the horizon, where he too had seen the ships come down.

Keeping his arms folded, the armored, humanoid figure shielded by darkness spoke in a rough, menacing sounding voice.

"What do you think?" the man asked, a wide grin suddenly shining through the blackness of his surroundings. "Go out there and give our visitors a proper greeting."

His instruction put smiles on the group's faces.

OOO

(Several minutes later)

Across the landscape of mountain-sized roots dominating the majority of the landscape surrounding the titanic tree, many miles away the five elite members of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_ had disembarked from their ships. Having left their craft in the five large craters formed in the clearing between two of the large tree's colossal extensions, the mixed group of aliens in matching armor sets and spandex, were now in the process of investigating ground zero and the location of the most recent colony disappearance.

The cause of it- the otherworldly, impossibly large flora growing around them and standing as the dominant lifeform on the continent.

However, as the team proceeded to inspect the area, the group slowly saw that there was definitely some other force at work here. Something dark and sinister.

After running his hand along the side of the root that they'd landed near, an inquisitive Gohan- his own green scouter sitting over his left ear to help him keep radio contact with his teammates, narrowed his eyes on the piece of wood before stepping away from it. "This tree didn't come from this planet, did it? Or any of the other two worlds Cooler-sama mentioned in his transmission."

"No. It didn't," Myra spoke- the Hera standing nearby and also checking out the structure. She even rapped her knuckles against it to check to see if it was hollow. She immediately guessed from the dull taps she received in return that it wasn't. "This… _thing_… isn't native to this galaxy. None of the worlds in the region have the space, atmosphere, or soil to support such a massive flora. Hell, I don't think it even came from this quadrant."

Dore, standing at the top of one of the roots and checking out the horizon with Salza, overheard what Myra was saying and looked down at her from his ledge. "What do you mean by that?"

"She means that wherever this monstrosity came from, it doesn't belong to any of the worlds in our territory," the captain replied, looking up at his taller companion with a serious look on his face. When the other members of the squad focused on the officer, they saw him point across the cloudy, ruined landscape. "Look around. This tree- or whatever it is- came to this planet, sucked up every drop of nutrients in the ground, and assimilated it into its biomass. Judging from the amount of destruction it has wrought, the sudden change in atmospheric conditions, and the planet's rapid state of decay, all point to the fact that this plant is a voracious and aggressive invasive species. From the way it's rooted itself into the soil and engulfed this entire continent, I'd say it shares more in common with a parasite than a plant."

The green warrior blinked as his brain slowly processed what he'd been told. "So… what you're saying is… this freaky tree is like a leech? A blood sucker?"

"Exactly. Only instead of sucking up people's blood, it sucks up the life blood of planets. Or, to be more precise, planets that can't sustain its enormous form and appetite," Salza replied. If he had to make an educated guess, a tree like this probably would've come from a world that was fertile and rich enough to allow similar flora and organisms to grow on its surface.

As it stood though, this world was practically unfit to host such an extreme species.

Gohan, running through all of this information and everything that they knew, then turned to the captain with a serious look on his youthful face. "But that doesn't explain where all of the people living in the colonies disappeared to."

"Yeah. And that's what has me confused," Myra said, looking down at her friend before then glancing across at the root again. "Even if this thing suddenly grew here overnight, the planet's population would still be here, along with most of the animals." She then glanced towards the sky suspiciously. "Unless the tree's sudden appearance and drastic change in climate conditions affected the ecosystem and killed off most of the native species."

"That probably explains the traces of animal life I picked up on the Comet's scouter a while earlier. All the surviving animals have moved south, trying to get away from the invader," Neiz spoke from the root on the other side of the clearing, the amphibian scrunching his brow as he looked around the area. "Even now I can feel how badly the planet is being affected by this tree. It must've wiped out all of the animals and other creatures in just a few short days."

"Alright. But what about the people?" Dore asked, shrugging at the looks given to him by the others. "What kind of race or species was inhabiting this planet before we got here?"

Salza rubbed his chin, making a murmuring sound that drew everyone else's attention to him. "CP-179 was originally called the planet _Toraka_… and the race that inhabited it were sentient Vulpes people called Kitsune-seijins. They were a small group of primitives, who were incredibly swift, strong and intelligent, and apparently practiced a high degree of energy manipulation similar to sorcery. Cooler-sama colonized this planet in a hopes that the race would one day become a strong addition to his empire later. He saw value in its people and placed this world under his protection." He then shrugged at the confused look Dore shot his way. "I read the initial mission dossier before we got to this system."

"Well…" Neiz muttered while looking around agitatedly. "As much as it pains me to say this… but it appears that this race won't have a chance to flourish under our young emperor now. Not after this has happened to them."

While the squad were busy lamenting the fact that the people were now gone, Gohan, who'd been listening along with everybody else, suddenly caught a whiff of something in the air. Sniffing when he picked up the trace of a scent carrying in on a breeze, the child wordlessly turned around and began walking towards the arc formed by the colossal root behind him, and quietly followed the cobbled, dirt path formed by the disturbance in the ground.

Myra, sensing the child leave her side, turned around and blinked in confusion when she saw him disappear under the arch. "Huh? Gohan-kun? What's wrong?" she asked, drawing the rest of the squad's attention towards the fact the youngster was wandering off.

"I smell something," the child called back, dropping down onto all fours and sniffing the air closer to the floor. "This way." Following a few inhales, the young demi-Saiyan's eyes immediately snapped in a westerly direction, before the child crouched down and sprang forward, whereupon he proceeded to sprint across the landscape.

Bounding across the ground and under multiple arcing bridges and roots like a wolf, Gohan darted through the winding labyrinth of obstacles across the countryside at a brisk pace. The rest of his squad, quickly falling in behind him, trailed after the child at a low-enough altitude above the ground- making sure to keep him in their sights, while at the same time keeping a lookout for anything else.

Kai knew what else was hiding out here on this apocalyptic wasteland.

Eventually, after covering a stretch of a few kilometers, Gohan leapt into another clearing wedged between a series of towering roots and dead trees. Rising to his feet upon touching down, the youngster then ambled out into the open, shortly before being joined by his teammates landing behind him. As soon as the group of adults arrived in the area, the entire squad's attention quickly locked onto the familiar sight of a small troop spaceship standing at the edge of the clearing- its golden floaters and white hull glinting under the scarce rays of sunlight poking through the clouds.

Neiz, pressing the main button on the side of his scouter, scanned the transport and received an immediate response in the form of an emergency signal and a serial number. "Looks like we found the source of the distress beacon. Must be the ship the scouts used to get here." He then looked around the area and attempted to boost his scouter's signal. "No sign of any of the men though."

Walking ahead of the group as they looked around the clearing, Myra stopped about halfway towards the ship and knelt down. Running her fingers over the collection of footprints in the soil, she then narrowed her eyes when she began making sense of their arrangement. "Multiple sets of boot prints. Judging from their placement, the soldiers grouped here." She then as she saw the boot prints break off and stop. "Then they broke off and took flight."

"Perhaps they went out to scout the area," Dore reasoned with a shrug.

Salza, walking over to where Myra was kneeling, then noticed something else. Further ahead, he spied even more prints on… they were smaller and more scattered. "Paw prints? Looks like they belong to some sort of mammal. Perhaps one of the locals." He then squinted when he attempted to follow them, only to make a second discovery. "Two… no… three sets of paw prints. Another group?"

Standing up from where she was kneeling, Myra saw that Gohan had broken away from their circle again and had begun prowling about the clearing on all fours. Upon seeing him pace about and sniff the floor towards the edge of the grove, the orange-haired warrior tilted her head at the youngster. "Do you still smell something?"

"Uh-huh. It's faint, but close," Gohan responded, creeping forward on his hands and knees as he scanned the vicinity further for any signs of activity. Sniffing the air again and visualizing the trail of the aroma filtering into the area, the boy's eyes widened in alarm before a frown crossed his lips. He then stood back up as his eyes locked onto the impossibly large root forming another tunnel ahead of him- where a fallen tree lay, along with clusters of dead and decaying bushes. The squad noticed the boy's sudden change in mood, which prompted all of them to turn in his direction. "Come on out. I know you're hiding over there."

There was a long moment of silence, in which Myra and everybody else watched the area that their youngest member was currently glaring at. Following a full minute of nothing, Salza and the others suddenly jumped when they saw the twigs and branches of the bushes rustle. Moments later, three small figures suddenly crawled out from under the fallen tree wedged under the root. One after the other the three came out slow at first, acting incredibly cautious. Eventually the creatures came out into the open and shakily stood up.

What the squad found themselves looking at next surprised them greatly. Having initially expected to find no other life forms existing in the area, the elite band of warriors now found themselves looking upon three, perfectly alive and healthy people. Huddled together protectively and appearing scared beyond measure, Cooler's squadron gazed upon three small, foxlike humanoids, each one standing about the same height as Gohan and shivering from head to toe. Each of them wearing two piece tribal cloths, they were a group of three young girls. The one on the left was a vixen with whitish-pink fur covering her entire body, a long bushy tail, a short snout, and fox ears protruding out of a head of long, red hair. The one on the right had dark orange fur, a head of short brown hair, cute fox ears pointing out of the top, and a smaller, bushier brown tail swishing behind her. The last one- who was standing in the center and in front of her friends- was a young kitsune with blue and white fur, with a head of blue hair, and a long, bushy tail, and white tribal markings patterning her coat.

She was the most distinct of the three of them- not to mention the one trying to appear the bravest as she faced down the squad of strong looking men and women in front of her.

Salza balked in surprise when he saw the three youngsters standing at the edge of the clearing. "Children?"

"What in the world are they doing all the way out here, so far from the settlement?" Neiz asked, at the same time reaching up and pressing his scanner, which immediately began crunching numbers. "And why weren't our scouters able to pick them up?" He then frowned when he saw their energy signatures jump up on his screen.

"Maybe because their energy levels are so small we couldn't detect them… or maybe it's because that huge tree is messing up our sensors," Myra answered, making an educated guess as to how they didn't locate them before. When her own scouter activated and took in the trio's energy signatures, the girl cocked an eyebrow. "Each of them is sitting at a power level of 120? That's… quite impressive for a group of kids. They must've been masking them."

Feeling the eyes of the group of armored figures glaring at them, the little blue vixen at the front frowned before barking at the newcomers. "W-W-What do you want?" the girl shouted, sounding both angry and distressed at the same time. "Why are you people here?"

Gohan, shaking out of his surprise at seeing three kids his age glaring back at them, stepped forward and raised his hands. "It's okay. We're not here to hurt you."

"Lord Cooler sent us to your home world to check on the colony and your people," Myra also spoke, figuring that her interjection would help calm the youngsters- one of whom looked like she was about to snap at them while her two friends hiding behind her looked as though they were about to flee. "When we arrived, we found an enormous tree poking out of the clouds. We tried searching for any survivors nearby and the soldiers we sent here a few days earlier… but we couldn't find anyone."

The white fox girl behind the blue one blinked as her head perked up. "C-Cooler-sama sent you?"

Dore smiled while also stepped forward. "That's right."

A nod also came from Gohan, who smiled reassuringly in their direction. "We're here to help."

Looking at one another, the three children separated from each other slightly, with the blue kitsune girl lowering her arms. Sensing their anxiousness and uncertainty fade momentarily, Gohan used that chance to move closer. Ambling into reach of the trio, with Myra also following him, the youngster stopped in front of the trio of anthropomorphic fox girls and looked between them, with the bluenette remaining stiff and on edge.

"I'm Gohan- 2nd lieutenant in the _Cooler Force_ and member of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_," the boy greeted cheerfully, at the same time beaming pleasantly at the trio.

Straightening up at the disarmingly warm smile the five year old boy was giving her, the blue fox girl blushed for the briefest of moments before quickly lowering her head to him. "I-I'm Kida." She then pointed to the white fox on her right. "This is my friend, Rei." She then gestured to the orange fox on her left. "And this is my other friend, Riko." She then held a hand to her chest and stuttered to the boy. "M-My father was the chief in the village… and the leader of our people."

Myra balked, "The chief's daughter?"

While this information surprised the child somewhat, Gohan kept a level head as he looked between them, before glancing back at the head girl. "Your village is on the other side of the ridge. How did you three manage to get all the way out here?" He was then caught off guard when the girl in front of him suddenly moved forward and wrapped his arms around him in a hug, with the other two following suit. Feeling all three girls suddenly coil their arms around him and squeeze him tightly had the young hero freeze up, as this was the first time he'd ever received such a gesture from a group of strangers on a planet he was just visiting. "Uhh… o-okay?"

The sight of the children swamping Gohan caused Dore to snicker slightly at the surprised look that came over his young friend's face. He was about to make some smartass comment too, until a sharp look from Myra and Neiz shot the Beppa-seijin down and caused him to clear his throat nervously. "Sorry," he apologized in a low voice.

"It… It was horrible," the orange fox girl whispered, hiding her head under the accent of Gohan's shoulder guard.

The demi-Saiyan blinked as he kept his hands around them as the shivering youngsters stayed close to him and nuzzled him for comfort. "What happened?" Hearing the question, the other members of the squadron quietly stepped in, with Salza and Myra keeping their eyes and ears wide open- just in case something happened.

"My… My friends and I… were playing in the village square together… just like every other day," Kida stuttered, moving off of the boy a few inches and looking at his face, which she could see had a look of genuine concern and intent. "We were having so much fun… and were about to go into the hut for lunch. But then… the ground started to shake, the trees in the forest started to collapse… and the earth began to explode all around us." She then turned and nodded towards the giant mound of wood standing behind her. "And then… _those things_ started bursting out of the ground. _Everywhere_. All over."

"Th-They smashed our homes… destroyed our fields… killed our cattle," the white fox stuttered, her gaze turning to the men standing behind the boy to see Salza and Neiz looking at them seriously. "When we tried to hide… Kida's papa told us to run for the hills… so we did."

"We kept on running. Not looking back," the blue kitsune youngster continued, looking from Myra and then back to Gohan, who she saw blink. "There was so much noise. So much screaming. So much shaking. When we got to the top of the hill… we saw our entire village… and country had been destroyed. And… when we looked towards the north… we saw _that_ thing reaching up towards the sky." She then pointed up to the tree's canopy high above them, with the group craning their heads upwards to see the branches and leaves of the enormous flora casting its foreboding shadow across the planet's surface.

Upon looking up at the colossal arms stretching through the clouds miles overhead, the group then heard little Kida speak again, which drew their attention back to her.

"My… friends and I came here... to try and find out how this monstrous tree came to our world," the blue vixen explained, her expression becoming stern as she gazed upon Gohan's kindly face. "It must have come here from somewhere across the stars... from a place it shouldn't have left. We thought that if it landed here by accident… then there had to be a way to send it back."

"So… you didn't see anything? Like… a meteorite or a comet… or something else that might have crashed or landed on your world?" Salza asked, wanting to ascertain if this tree had come here by chance or by some other manner.

His theory of course was tossed into the air once again when he and the others saw Kida, Riko and Rei shake their heads, with the orange-furred girl with the short ears and tail speaking up. "No. We didn't see anything before the chaos started. And the skies were clear all morning."

It was then Rei spoke next. "When the three of us passed over the ridge, we saw our warriors and Cooler-sama's soldiers fly towards the trunk and try to destroy it. B-But then-" She then trailed off.

Neiz frowned at the look of anxiousness that came over the trio. "Then what? What happened?"

Kida, letting out a shaky breath, looked at Gohan with an expression of fear and terror on her face. "Strangers… _pirates_… five of them… came out of nowhere, killed our warriors… and destroyed our village. They didn't leave anybody alive."

The hybrid blinked in confusion. "Pirates?" It was then, at that very moment, something close by suddenly tripped his senses, causing his head to snap upwards and his eyes to widen. The scouters on his friends' heads also activated- prompting all of them to glance upwards. "INCOMING! TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH!" Gohan shouted, wrapping his arms around the three girls and jumping out of the way as fast as he could, just in time to avoid multiple flashes of red light that dropped down on his position and utterly pulverized the ground.

The rest of the squadron took flight, leaping out of the clearing in five separate blurs as a salvo of energy blasts came raining down from the clouds. The entire area was lit up by clusters of fiery explosions, which not only ruptured the entire grove between the roots, but also incinerated the space ship that'd been precariously parked there. When the squad of warriors landed atop a large root several dozen yards away and watched the wall of fire and smoke billow up from the clearing that they'd been standing in, Salza saw more numbers pop up on his scouter, which had his eyes snap skywards again.

"CONTACT!" he shouted, noticing the plume of smoke in front of them get blown away by another barrage of pink energy blasts flying towards them. Without even thinking twice, the squad captain sprang into the air and smacked them out of the way with several swift slaps of his hands. Upon sending the beams of ki streaking into the distance, he then dropped back down to the root and glared across the landscape, before then seeing a warning arrow pop up on his green screen.

The same signals appearing on all their scouters, the group of five- plus the trio of girls Gohan had saved- turned their attention to another root standing beside theirs. The moment their eyes landed on it, the team spotted a collection of four silhouettes drop down from the sky and make landfall along its surface. As soon as they appeared, the members of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_ frowned when they saw for themselves the 'pirates' that the three little Kitsune-sei had been talking about.

Standing along the elevated hill made out of hardened, cosmic wood, the heroes and defenders of the quadrant found themselves confronted by the smug, grinning faces of the bandits that'd been inside the tree's naturally formed cave system from earlier. With the shortest members at the front- Daiz and his purple compatriot Lakasei- kneeling on the root, the invaders were able to get their first, good look at the band of newcomers that'd arrived on the famine ravaged world.

"Well now… what do we have here?" the towering, crimson-skinned Amond asked out loud as he grinned menacingly across at the group of identically dressed warriors. "Another group of meat bags to smack around."

A snicker from the short Lakasei echoed up from in front of his towering superior. "You were right, Cacao. They certainly don't look like ordinary grunts this time. Judging from the way they're so smartly dressed, I'm guessing they must be some kind of elite commando unit. How fun."

Blinking as he looked around at the group, Dore straightened up from his fighting posture. "Where the hell did these weirdoes come from?"

"They must've been hiding up in that giant tree somewhere… probably inside of it," Neiz responded, shaking his head a she glanced between the opposing squad. "Since the entire thing is exuding so much energy and distorting the atmosphere, our scouters couldn't get a lock on them."

Myra, clicking her tongue when she scanned the group of four, narrowed her eyes on the biggest amongst them. "I take it you four are the ones responsible for the people and the colony on this planet disappearing."

"Oh, look Daiz. They've got a girl with them… and a hotty too," Amond chuckled, at the same time leering down at the Hera and causing a rather uncomfortable shiver to run up her spine. "Mmm. Not a bad sight at all. She's certainly a refreshing change of scenery from the usual sport we're used to running into on these outings."

"She also appears to be quite sharp as well," the punk-haired mercenary kneeling beside the head of their group remarked, looking the scantily clad adolescent over before grinning lewdly. "Hey there, baby. Why don't you ditch those losers and come have some fun with us? I promise our gang can offer you a lot more than those boring looking sacks behind you, if you catch my drift." He ended his rather mischievous remark with a wink, which caused Myra to recoil in disgust.

Immediately taking offense to this, the rest of the men on Cooler's squadron stepped forward to defend their teammate, with Gohan also moving away from the three Kitsune-sei behind her to stand next to his friend and snarl at the pirates. "You keep your eyes off of her, you scumbag," the hybrid shouted, drawing the group of men's attention to him. Body shaking with quickly bubbling fury, the boy hero snapped again. "She's not interested in going anywhere with you. So back off!"

Daiz blinked, "A kid? What's a runt like that doing with this band of hard asses?"

"Heh. The boys must be on baby-watching duty or something," Lakasei scoffed, at the same time glancing across at Salza and the others. "I guess that proves just how desperate the Cooler Force is for good help these days. How pathetic."

While the rest of his compatriots were busy sizing up their latest prey, an observing Cacao then noticed something behind Gohan. Watching a brown, furry appendage whip about the air at his back, the metallic, pink-skinned warrior in mechanical battle armor narrowed his eyes seriously on the youngster. "That child… he's a Saiyan."

This statement caught the rest of the group off guard, with Daiz glancing behind him at the cyborg in alarm. "What? A Saiyan?"

"That's impossible," Amond replied, glaring back down at the group and focusing on the kid. When he saw the tail swishing behind him as well, the giant of a warrior frowned. "There aren't any Saiyans in this part of the universe. No way."

"Well… it appears there is one now," Lakasei replied with a stern look on his face, which then slowly transformed into a smirk. "Hm. I bet Turles-sama will be very interested to hear about this little gold nugget we've just discovered."

As the group of pirates contemplated this new information, down on their root, as the girls that they rescued remained huddled behind Gohan, an observing Myra felt her glare harden as she looked over the faces of the group in front of her. Upon which she then spoke up to the rest of her team.

"Hey, you guys. This group… they're bad news," she said in a low voice. "They've got a lot of hard cases amongst them."

"Yes. I can see," Salza replied, glancing across at the warrior dressed in silver, metal armor and fitted with the multitude of cybernetic implants. His glare fixated on that warrior as he got a good look at his profile. "That man on the left- the one in silver armor. He's Cacao- a former battle cyborg from the planet Ikonda, turned bounty hunter and gun-for-hire. He did a few jobs for the _Cooler Force_ many years ago, but then suddenly dropped off the radar. We haven't seen or heard from him since."

"Hmph. Well, I guess this answers the question as to where he's been kicking back all this time," Dore answered, his eyes looking from the big warrior to the little one beneath him.

It was then Myra decided to address Lakasei- who she could see was sizing them up along with the rest of his companions. "And that one over there… the small, purple one at the front… if my eyes aren't deceiving me, I think he's a member of the Beenz-seijin race."

"A Beenz? Are you sure?" Salza glanced across at her. "Didn't their race go extinct thousands of years ago when their planet got hit by an apocalyptic famine?"

"Yeah. But it looks like one of them managed to survive. Though how it's still alive after all these years, I have no idea," Myra responded, a bead of sweat running down the side of her head. "And that big one over there. Their commander. I remember seeing his face on a _Galactic Patrol _Wanted Poster not too long ago. Back on the planet Sappo when we stopped there for a rest and a refuel."

It was at that point that Neiz decided to chime in. "That's Amond. A brigand and outlaw who rampaged across the universe over a decade ago, attacking settlements and cities on multiple, peaceful worlds," Neiz answered, also recognizing the crimson-skinned, brute of a man standing behind the rest of his cronies. "The _Galactic Patrol_ put a price on his head of over ten million credits to bring him in. Apparently he managed to break out of one of their prison facilities on the Planet Nutts after starting a riot, and caused a lot of damage to their forces."

Dore, eyes glancing over all of them, then turned his attention to the scruffy one with the jewelry at the front. "And what about _that_ punk?"

"He's a bigshot as well," Salza answered, narrowing his eyes on the man chilling at the head of the group. "Daiz I believe- a young, warrior prince of the Pukinpa Dynasty of Kabocha. He defended his planet for years from invaders, before his entire kingdom was suddenly wiped out by a full-scale attack from an unknown enemy." The blond narrowed his eyes on the man. "He should be dead… yet here he is, alive and well."

Neiz, narrowing his eyes on the group, then decided to speak up. "Hey! What's the deal, here?! Why is a bunch of mercenaries, criminals, and dead people hanging around on this planet?"

Hearing this, Amond snickered. "Oh? So you recognize the many, charming faces in our group? How very flattering."

"For the record, the four of us know all about your little rag-tag team as well," Daiz spoke up, craning his head as he sneered down at the five gathered on the root and glaring daggers at them. "The infamous commandoes of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_\- the elite protectors of his illustrious Empire. We can tell by the insignia on your chest armor." He then chuckled when he saw their eyes narrow on him. "Your reputation precedes you, great warriors. I heard that the individual battle powers of each of your squad's members is supposed to be astonishing. On par with that of Lord Frieza's."

"Too bad that doesn't matter now," Cacao spoke up in his deep, robotic voice, which blared across the chasm between them and the group. "Not after the… _upgrades_ we've all received."

Amond smirked when he saw the confused looks come over Dore and Neiz's faces. "To answer your earlier question as to why we are here, I think the reason should be quite obvious to you." He then reached up with a hand and pointed a thumb over his shoulder- in the direction of the gargantuan tree behind him. "We're here to harvest the fruits of the _Shinseiju- _or known better in the common tongue as the _**Tree of Might**_\- which we planted on this world about two moons ago."

Dore blinked in confusion, "Tree of Might?" What kind of weird name was that?

Eyes widening a little, Myra then glanced across at the massive tower of wood jutting out of the horizon. "Wait. I've heard of that name before. It was from one of the fairytales my teacher told me back at the school on my home planet. _'The tree that grants everlasting vitality and strength to those who seek its divine power. Those who eat from its fruit and drink from its nectar gain the strength and wisdom of the Gods.'_ In other words, the legendary _Tree of the Kais_."

"Ah. I see somebody knows their ancient history and legends," Daiz chuckled while shooting the adolescent a dirty look. "Clever girl."

"Yes. That is indeed what the tree is," Amond answered, smirking at the somewhat stunned looks that came over the faces of the men and women on the root below. "Our leader- the Mighty Turles- managed to get a hold of its vessel on a secret mission from his home planet many years ago, when he was sent by his king in search of a 'weapon' that could bring down the invincible Lord Frieza. After years of hunting, following the clues left behind by the Core people, and with _our_ assistance, he managed to locate the _Seed of the Tree of Might_, which had been sealed away on a faraway world at the edge of the quadrant."

"After securing it, we then began searching for a suitable planet on which to grow the mythical flora," Lakasei informed, grinning as he saw the eyes of the group turn to him. "A world of rich soil, fertile land, and abundant life- preferably one where the lifeforms were primitive and still in the early stages of evolution."

It was then Gohan's expression changed and the boy looked upon the group in shock. "So… those two worlds that were destroyed… and this one… that was because of your group planting _that_ tree?"

Cacao smirked, "Correct." The man's straight answer was enough to cause the hybrid's expression to twist with anger, as well as cause the other members of his squad to clench their hands and teeth in outrage.

Their rise in temper and patience was noted by the pirates, who continued to monologue over their earlier adventures.

"The first planet we planted the seed on had a suitable atmosphere and good soil. But the lands weren't nearly fertile enough and the air was far too thin, which meant that the tree was unable to reach its full size. The first fruits we grew were sour and didn't provide a big enough boost in strength," Daiz informed, which was then followed by him gesturing towards his teammate Lakasei. "However, the essence from the tree's roots was still strong enough to revive our friend Lakasei's petrified corpse- the fossil of which we managed to buy off of the black market in order to test the tree's potency and potential." A cheeky wave from the purple alien caused Cooler's elite to frown in a rather sickly manner.

Seeing the group's eyes snap to him, Amond then stepped forward. "We then considered moving on to the _Milky Way_ galaxy in search of a planet there, inside of Frieza's territory. But along the way, we came across a second planetoid with a thriving colony and a healthy landscape, and decided to do our next experimental plantation there." A chuckle left the big warrior's lips. "And I tell yah, the _Tree of Might_ took to that world far, _far_ better than the one before."

"The earth was much more fertile, as was the quantity and quality of water, which helped to grow fruit that were ten times richer than the last," Lakasei stated with a smug smile, at the same time raising his hand and clenching his fists tightly. "Our battle powers exploded the moment we fed off of the tree, allowing us to achieve heights in strength we never could've dreamed of."

"Once we realized we were on the right track, we packed up and moved on, which then led us to _here_\- a large, outlying world rich in soil, swamps, atmosphere, forests, and sweeping valleys. The colony residing on the continent was small, but strong, which gave us all the information we needed to tell that this was the perfect place to plant our final tree," Daiz stated with a wide, menacing grin.

"It's taking the big sucker a lot longer to funnel through the dense earth and mantel. But once the fruits have achieved ripeness and we've eaten from them once more, we will become the most powerful warriors the universe has ever seen! Even more powerful than Frieza and his pathetic family! Our strength will allow us to usurp their thrones and assume our rightful places as rulers of the cosmos!" Amond exclaimed, clenching his fist in front of him before then holding out his hand and pointing down at the group. The expression that came over him next was one of foul and malicious intent. "But before we kick back and indulge in the literal fruits of our labors… we're going to have a little bit of fun, and slaughter each and every one of you first."

"The last group of so-called warriors and soldiers we fought barely even put up a fight. We took care of them easily," Daiz informed, standing up along with Lakasei and giving the female member of the group a wide smirk. "It's about time we finally found a group of challengers worthy enough of our strength."

Upon hearing the pirates' bragging and story finally come to an end, the elite squadron allowed the information to process and boil for a moment. Once a minute had ticked by and they were forced to endure the arrogant looks of their foes, Gohan then snarled through clenched teeth and a face twisted in outrage.

"You scumbags destroyed three whole planets and murdered millions of innocent people… just so you could eat some stupid, magical fruits," the boy hissed through his lips, drawing glances from the pirates in front of him. Glancing back at the three fox girls behind him, who he could see were all looking on with mixed looks of worry and terror on their faces, the boy then glared back at the bandits. "Kida and her friends lost their homes… their families… and everybody else they knew and loved. They have nothing and _nobody_ left... because you took them away from them. But that all changes now."

"I sure hope you assholes are ready, because we're going to make you pay for all the suffering and destruction you've caused," Myra also growled, backing up her teammate's anger with her own as her expression hardened with intent. "Your spree of sucking planets dry is over."

Cracking his knuckles one by one, Dore sneered. "I'm personally going to enjoy wasting you evil fuckers."

While the pirates gave the two warriors smug looks, Salza then put on a smirk of his own and shot back at the villains in his usual, haughty manner.

"Hmph. I share the same sentiment as my companions. If you fools think that eating some fruit from a mystical tree, loaded with energy stolen from innocent people and worlds, will grant you the strength to bring down the likes of Lord Cooler- let alone us- then you're even more idiotic than you look," the blond remarked, seeing the faces on the bad guys change drastically, which drew a chuckle from the captain, as well as Dore, Neiz, Gohan and Myra. "No one in the universe can stand up to our strength."

"Haven't you heard, dumb assess?" Dore asked with a grin, clenching his fists as he felt another number coming on. "We're the best warriors in the quadrant. The greatest tag team around…"

"And Emperor Cooler's most elite and respected soldiers," Neiz followed up, his own posture straightening as he timed what was. "We're his instruments of justice."

"The blade that he wields whenever evil rears its ugly head," Myra continued, her own smirk returning as she allowed her outrage to fuel her mind, body and soul.

"And the evil that we're going to crush today, will be all of _you_!" Gohan added immediately afterwards, puffing his chest out and grinning confidently- as his heart started to pump and his blood began to rush. Knowing what was coming next, the boy was now finding himself unable to contain his excitement or his fury- with Kida and her friends noticing his tail starting to wave about behind him even more agitatedly. "You bastards are going down! And we're the ones who are going to make sure that you do!"

With all five stepped towards one another to form a row- Salza in the center, Myra and Gohan on his left, and Dore and Neiz on his right- the entire squad then wasted no time and struck a pose. Neiz and Gohan throwing their arms out and lunging to the side, Dore and Myra kneeling down and striking their hands to the other, and Salza taking on a shoulder-width stance with his hands extended, the entire group formed a full-team battle posture, with their glares fixating squarely on the enemy in front of them.

"_**Cooler's Armored Squadron!"**_ they all shouted at once, ending with Salza glaring up at the stumped group of pirates.

Staring down at the five posing warriors- completely ignoring the amazed looks on the three young Kitsune-seijin gathered behind their formation- the mercenaries were first at a complete loss for words. However, after several seconds ticked by and a gust of wind billowed over the valley, sending a cloud of dead leaves drifting over their spot, a now thoroughly impatient Amond clenched his teeth and hissed.

"Take them."

In the blink of an eye, the four pirates on the root crouched forward and vanished into four distinct blurs, at the exact same time Salza, Myra, Dore, Neiz and Gohan- all powering up and surrounding themselves in their respective auras while still in their fighting poses- then shot up into the sky at blazing speed in pursuit of their foes. Their take-off was marked by a loud shockwave that echoed across the landscape and sent a blast of dust rippling outwards, their energies leaving five individual vapor trails in their wake.

The moment they propelled themselves into battle, chaos unfolded, and all Kida, Rei and Riko could do was stand together and stare up in the sky in awe, as the group of heroes engaged their foes.

The battle had begun.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Author's Note: **For comparison's sakes, since the change in Alter Age, all groups have been training their asses off. With the Cooler Force being sent on more missions with Gohan and Myra accompanying, there's been a big alteration in strengths and battle powers. Plus it gives me a chance to make some personal amendments, particularly to the Salza and Dore power level differentiation, with the captain's strength being lower than his subordinate's which makes no sense to me:

**Original power levels (as found on DBZ wikia):**

**_Cooler's Armored Squadron:_**

Dore – 185,000

Salza – 170,000

Neiz- 163,000

**_Turles Crusher Corps:_**

Turles – 300,000 (after eating Tree of Might fruit)

Amond – 9,100

Daiz – 8,400

Cacao – 13,000

Raisen – 7,600

Lakasei – 7,600

_**Ginyu Force:**_

Captain Ginyu – 120,000

Jeice – between 40,000 and 60,000

Burter – between 40,000 and 60,000

Recoome – between 40,000 and 60,000

Guldo – 10,000 (approximately)

XXX

**Alter Age power levels:**

**_Raditz Saga:_**

Gohan – 120 (suppressed)

Gohan – 900 (active)

Gohan – 4,000 (dormant)

* * *

Goku (w/weights) – 335

Goku – 420

Piccolo (w/weights) – 322

Piccolo - 408

* * *

Raditz – 1,500

Saibamen – 1,200 (each)

Gohan – 990 (vs Saibaman)

Gohan – 1,400 and climbing (as fight continues)

Gohan – 3,000 and climbing (after deflecting Raditz's Saturday Crash)

Gohan – 2,004 (fatigued)

Gohan – 6,000 and climbing (first Zenkai)

Gohan – 6,300 and climbing

3x Saibamen Kamikaze – 7,000

Gohan – 10 (unconscious)

Raditz – 1,007 (fatigued)

* * *

**_Saiyan Saga:_**

Vegeta – 18,000

Nappa – 4,000

Gohan – 8,000 (second Zenkai)

Gohan – 13,500 (multiple boosts)

Giant Centipede – 12,000

Myra – 115,000

Dore – 105,000

Gohan – 24,000 and climbing (enraged)

Cooler (3rd/Final Form - Suppressed) – 3,900,000

**_Raider Saga:_**

_**Cooler's Armored Squadron (After six months of training and missions):**_

Salza – 185,000

Myra – 182,000

Neiz – 182,000

Dore – 180,000

Gohan – 170,000

_**Turles Crusher Corps (After eating first batches of Tree of Might fruit)**_

Amond – 159,000

Daiz – 158,000

Cacao – 163,000

Raisen – 157,000

Lakasei – 157,000

Turles- Unknown


	11. Raider Saga - Face of Evil

**Dragonball Z**

_**Alter Age**_

_Face of Evil_

(Meanwhile)

(Back on Earth)

After making stellar progress with their training thus far, the Z-fighters training up on _Kami's Lookout_ had decided to allocate some of their days towards honing their energy-based techniques. Since they'd been spending so much time developing and increasing their physical attributes to contend with the brute force and might of the Saiyans, the team of heroes knew that they also needed to focus some time on their ranged moves. Improving their timing and use of this category of attacks would not only grant them a much greater edge against their foes, but also improve their strength, concentration, and skills in the arts as well.

Aside from Tien teaching Yamcha how to use the _**Dodonpa**_ and also polishing up his various _**Kikoho**_ variants with Chiaotzu, Krillin began developing a couple of new and inspired techniques as well- including a single ki blast that broke apart and scattered on command and a cutting disk attack with the capability of slicing through practically everything. There was also Yajirobi trying to learn how to use ki blasts as well, but the man wasn't all that skilled in the area and chose to focus instead on his physical skills.

Piccolo on the other hand was taking his technique training to a whole other level. Aside from also perfecting a new type of cloning ability called the _**Tri-Form**_ and utilizing them as sparring partners, he also continued polishing his other less-used move sets, including his ocular beams and full-powered ki blasts. This also included training up the speed, strength and timing in which he executed his _**Makakosappo**_, in which not only would he be able to fire the attack with minimal effort, but also reduce the timing it took to charge it to a fraction of what it normally would take to prepare it.

This pretty much became the demon's focus on this particular day. Standing on the edge of _Kami's Lookout_ while two of his clones sparred in the air behind him, the original copy of the doppelgangers remained locked in a standing position with his eyes shut, his fists clenched, and his newly modified and heavier turban and neck braces weighing him down. Through the sounds of grunting and fighting taking place from his duplicates- as well as the Z-fighters practicing their moves on another part of the platform, the fully concentrated and intense-looking man took a deep breath before opening his eyes.

Veins pulsing along his forehead, Piccolo then gave a loud growl, before clenching his right hand and extending his index and middle fingers. Electricity sparkling along his digits, the man then lunged forward, curled his arm back, and thrust it forward. A scream of effort ripped from his mouth as he fired his signature beam from his fingers- sending the spiraling cannon shooting up into the sky.

The glow of the attack caused a brilliant flash of light to fill the sky and beat down on the Lookout- momentarily distracting Tien and Yamcha from their energy training. When the beam finished leaving the Namekian's fingers and disappeared into the stratosphere above, a massive explosion soon followed- in which a spherical, orange blast filled the sky hundreds of miles away. After the distant thunderclap of the blast reached the floating palace moments later, the explosion dissipated, leaving Piccolo standing there with his arm and fingers outstretched, and an intense look on his face.

Breathing heavily as sweat rolled down his head, the green demon growled and slowly moved back to a normal standing position. He then grumbled under his breath as he felt the drain from firing the attack hit him. "Hmm… it needs a little more work."

As all of this was going on, on the other side of the _Lookout_ and far out of the firing range of the demon's deadly killing attacks, Chiaotzu was in the process of showing Launch the technique of flight. With Yajirobi standing beside the short, hovering warrior in weighted clothing, the pair observed as the blond woman- dressed in her same uniform as before- attempted to hover about the place in a state of calm and focus.

Though the fierce gunslinger was managing to project her energy beneath her in order to simulate levitation, it was taking a bit more effort and difficulty for Launch to travel. This was proven by how the female fighter was slowly but surely gaining altitude, yet her body seemed to be listing and balking from side-to-side.

Obviously it was taking every ounce of her concentration to keep her full mass and weight from dropping from the sky and potentially plummeting to her death thousands of feet below.

When the young woman felt a strong breeze cut across her level, she wobbled a little and threw her arms out, eventually managing to correct herself and keep drifting upwards. "Okay. It's okay. Everything's fine. I'm fine," Launch whispered to herself over and over again in an attempt to settle her nerves. Sending another burst of ki to her feet, she pushed herself a little higher, not noticing that her body was slowly drifting sideways as she attempted to float forward. "Ah, man. Though I think I preferred keeping my feet firmly on the ground."

Chiaotzu, smiling as he watched from his place above the tiles, then called up to the blonde woman in an encouraging manner. "You're doing great, Launch. Keep it up."

The gunslinger looked back at her friend and grinned wryly. "Great? Is that what it looks like from where you guys are?" Cause it certainly didn't feel like it.

At that moment, Yajirobi decided to act like a smartass and replied. "Not for me. You look like an elephant trying to balance itself on a tightrope. It's kind of hilarious in my opinion."

Hair bristling at the man's remark, Launch attempted to wheel about midair and wave a fist at him. "WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME, FATSO?!" Unfortunately, due to that split second of distraction and frustration, the woman ended up losing all focus on her technique. The next thing the blond knew was that almost immediately after yelling down at the burly fighter, was that she was falling from the sky and over the Lookout. "What the-GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" the gunslinger screamed as her form suddenly dropped towards the ledge and plummeted right past it.

Chiaotzu and Yajirobi freaked out when they saw the woman fall from the sky, which caused both of them to rush forward and look over the edge in alarm.

"Launch!" the short, mime of a fighter shouted, before extending his hands and preparing to dive after her- only to abruptly stop when he suddenly saw another figure dive down from the sky and shoot past him at blazing speed.

Tumbling and rolling through the air as the winds whipped at her from seemingly all directions, the blond female attempted to regain control of her fall. However, with the shock of the sudden drop upsetting her concentration and with her spinning preventing her from orientating herself properly, all the woman could do was scream and flail about as she tried over and over to correct herself.

As she neared closer and closer to terminal velocity, the first and last thought that came to her head was that she was going to die- her last words being an ineloquent insult towards an infuriating man she'd only just met. But then, just as her body was in the midst of spinning out of control, with the _Lookout_ above her getting further and further away, Launch suddenly felt her entire world stop.

Momentum ceasing instantly and her heart dropping out of her throat, the startled woman blinked a few times as she stared wide-eyed ahead of her. Realizing she was lying in someone's arms, she then looked up to see who or what it was that'd caught her.

What Launch ended up looking up at was the bare, broad chest and shoulders of a topless Raditz, who had been training up in the sky above the _Lookout_ with a new set of weights when he spotted the blonde's terrifying fall. Once he was sure he had her, the Saiyan then began flying back up to the Lookout, all the while looking down at the fierce gunslinger to see her started gaze staring back at him.

The hard-assed mercenary chuckled. "Watch yourself. A fall like that can kill you."

"Uhh…" Launch murmured, completely at a loss for words as she stared up at the smiling face of the warrior holding her in his big arms. At that moment, all she could feel was her body practically pressed up against his- his mess toned arms and chest on full display, accentuated by a light sheen of sweat, which caused him to glisten under the rays of the sun. It was… quite a captivating spectacle, which in turn caused the blonde's once petrified heart to suddenly start beating a little faster than normal.

Seeing he had the gunslinger's full attention, the half-naked Raditz decided to tease her a little more and smirked at the gaping female. "Next time you're learning how to fly, maybe do it over a spot where you'll have a slightly softer landing- like a bed or a crash pad. That way you can curse at anyone you like and not pay a heavy price for it."

When Launch heard his remark and saw his grin directed at her, outlining his firm jaw and cheerful profile, her heartrate doubled and a rush of heat reached her cheeks, causing her to blush brightly. Her green eyes shimmering as they looked up at the devilishly handsome warrior above her as her mind went a little wild with imagination, it wasn't until the edge of the Lookout came within sight when she realized what she was doing, and quickly looked away in embarrassment.

It was a good thing she turned away too, because the thoughts that'd started to plague her mind had started to become a little raunchy.

When Raditz eventually touched down in front of Chiaotzu and Yajirobi, he then set the female fighter to her feet. During which time the observing pair rushed forward and began fussing over their female compatriot.

"Launch! Thank goodness you're alright!" the short fighter exclaimed in relief.

"Yeah. That was one heck of a fall," the man with the sword followed up, his expression reflecting excitement and nervousness. "Good thing Raditz was there to catch you when he did."

"Y-Yeah. Good thing," the blonde stuttered, stepping away from the tall warrior and dusting her arms down. Though she wasn't dirty in the slightest, her actions were all in an effort to slow her heartbeat and keep her eyes off of the man, who was currently staring at her to make sure she was okay. Clearing her throat after a few moments of gathering her composure, she then glanced back at the warrior and whispered through red cheeks. "Ch-Cheers for that."

Hearing this, Raditz smiled back at the gunslinger and nodded. "You're welcome."

At that moment, just as Launch was starting to feel a little hotter under the collar than usual, a strand of her hair tickled her nose. Feeling her extremity get a little itchy, the blonde suddenly reared her head, before giving out a loud yet cute-sounding, "Achoo!" Raditz and the other two standing nearby were then graced with the rather extraordinary sight of the blonde's hair turning blue, as her entire persona switched over to a completely different one. When the kind Launch in the blue tank top, shorts and weight bands looked up, she then glanced around in confusion. "Huh? W-What happened?"

Realizing she'd done it again, Chiaotzu quickly stepped over and beamed up at the startled young lady. "Oh. You were in the middle of another flying lesson. When you lost concentration and fell over the edge of the _Lookout_, Raditz over here saved you." He added to this by gesturing towards the tall, muscular Saiyan next to them, who he saw had a look of utter bewilderment on his face due to the girl's startling transformation.

"It was a great save too," Yajirobi added, drawing the startled woman's gaze to him. "You were dropping so fast it didn't look like anybody would be able to dive after you. But this guy was able to swoop in and catch you just like _that_." He snapped his fingers for good measure. "It was awesome."

"H-He did?" Launch asked. When she saw the nods come from both boys, she then turned her attention to Raditz, who balked a little at the wide-eyed, innocent, and amazed look written over the bluenette's face. Upon staring at her would-be savior for a few moment, while at the same time synchronizing her memories with those she'd made up here already, the woman smiled and turned to face the warrior proper. "Thank you. I hope the other me didn't cause you too much trouble."

"Oh? Umm… th-that's alright," Raditz, quickly catching on to what must have happened, reached up and scratched his head in a rather Goku-esque manner. It was an action that didn't go unnoticed by Chiaotzu and Yajirobi, who glanced momentarily at each other before shrugging. "I sort of… reacted without thinking back there. I saw you fall and, well… I acted." The Saiyan then extended a hand and smiled awkwardly. "As long as you're okay, that's good enough for me. We can't afford to lose anybody today over something so trivial."

Good Launch, giggling under her breath, then gazed up at the gruff and charming-looking warrior warmly. "Still, I would feel bad if I didn't reward you in some way. You saved my life… all because the other '_me_' did something incredibly silly." She was of course referring to herself. Though she'd gotten a lot better at being able to synchronize her memories with that of her Alter-Ego in her efforts to control her two separate forms, her memories were still foggy at best.

But at least she was getting somewhere.

Hearing the blue-haired Launch's statement had Raditz wave a hand at her. "Oh. N-No. There's no need. Really. Y-You don't need to owe me anything." It was kind of weird for him to be stuttering like this. These feelings that the Saiyan was experiencing right now, they were completely new to him and didn't suit a warrior of his high stature. But… somehow… he just couldn't help it.

There was just something about this girl. This strong-willed, fierce, kind, odd, incredibly beautiful girl…

The Saiyan shook his head when he realized what he was thinking. _"What the hell is wrong with me?"_ Raditz thought to himself, unable to stop from acting restless and nervous in front of the blue-haired woman beaming up at him. The look she currently had on her face and the way her entire face seemed to glow was causing his stomach to do weird tumble-turns inside of his body.

Smiling at the man's flustered responses and feeling incredibly moved by his honesty, the rosy-cheeked, good persona of the hardened gunslinger then did something truly unexpected. Stepping towards him, slipping through his guard, and getting up on her toes, the blue-haired female then gave him a brave yet light peck on the cheek. The action startled Chiaotzu and Yajirobi somewhat, as both of them were not expecting the woman to do such a thing.

Neither was Raditz, as evident by how the warrior was now standing there, frozen in place, and with a look of utter surprise slapped across his mug.

When Launch moved away and looked up at the man, she giggled at his somewhat flabbergasted appearance and straightened back her shoulders. "Well… I'm going to go meditate for a bit and work out some of these memories left behind by my other half. Then I'm going to go inside and help Mr. Popo make us some lunch." With one last nod, the woman then ambled away, not even bothering to remove her weighted clothing, as she too was already used to the training.

Watching the woman walk away at her own pace, a startled Raditz was slowly awakened from his daze. Glancing down at Chiaotzu and Yajirobi, who were also appearing incredibly stumped, the Saiyan raised a hand and pointed. "W-What the heck was that?"

The rotund swordsman glanced up at the long-haired brute of a warrior. "I… believe that was called a kiss."

"No! Not _that_ thing! That… _thing_ with the woman's hair and character changing! What in the world was that?!" the Saiyan replied in a rather frustrated manner.

"Oh? That!" Chiaotzu chirped, before smiling up at the taller and scarier looking individual. "Well, you see… Launch has this condition where, whenever she sneezes, she's able to switch between two different personalities- which we call a Good Launch and a Bad Launch. Though both of them are the same person, because she finds it difficult to recall what the other one has done while the other was 'sneezed away', it's almost like she's switching between two different people inside the same body."

"R-Really?" Raditz murmured, turning his gaze back to the palace to see the now blue-haired woman amble up the steps. "Hmm. What a strange ability. You Earthlings are just full of surprises."

Chiaotzu chuckled at the inquisitive expression the man now had on. "Try not to let it bother you too much. Both Launches are really good people and they're both really fun to hang around with. Though, since their two natures are complete opposites of one another, it's safe to say that the good and bad Launches have their own likes and interests." Obviously the bad one loved guns and fighting. The other one though, she was a much more gentle spirit.

It was then, after observing the curious look on Raditz's distracted face, Yajirobi decided to chime in. He did so with a rather wide, mischievous grin, "Of course… if you want my own personal opinion on their interests, man… I think they both _really_ like you."

Looking down at the fat swordsman in alarm and seeing both him and Chiaotzu grinning up at him with deceptively cheeky expressions, the Saiyan thought about speaking up against that remark and shooting down the burly warrior's theory. However, after a quick, split second instant of debate, the fighter from outer space promptly decided to bite his tongue and turn away.

As much as he wanted to argue against the latter's words of wisdom, Raditz was simply unable to find the strength or willingness to put up a decent fight. In fact, the man wasn't even sure he wanted to. Because for some reason, in that moment of weird clarity and realization, the influx of emotions and thoughts filling the Saiyan's nebulous pushed his normally stubborn, arrogant, and aggressive nature to the sidelines. All negativity he held in his heart was quelled by this new wave of feelings swimming around in his body and wrestling with his soul.

For a full minute, Raditz felt lost. Figuring he needed to clear his head, the warrior wisely chose to abandon the spot he'd found beside Chiaotzu and Yajirobi, and began marching across the _Lookout_, back to the spot he'd left all of his gear.

While the drama of the whole Launch fall was playing out over on the western side of the _Lookout_, back on the eastern side a completely different kind of revolution was beginning to play out. With Yamcha and Tien still caught up in their own energy training regimen to notice all of the other commotion going on around them, the pair completely missed the sight of two figures walking over from the palace over to where Piccolo was standing.

The green demon and former terror of the Earth was currently in the middle of a very heated meditation, in which the warrior was currently standing in place at the very edge of the Lookout, and trying to analyze the flow of his energy used for his signature killing move. Due to being so caught up in his thoughts and focused on his task, he was vaguely aware of the his other half- Kami- and Krillin approaching him from the floating palace's front steps. When they stopped a few paces behind him and remained there for a few moments in complete silence, the fabled Guardian of the Earth decided to throw all caution to the wind and smiled pleasantly at his evil counterpart's back.

"I can see your training is coming along really well," the planet's protector spoke in a calm and pleasant voice. "After all the hard work and effort you've been putting forth, the progress you've made over the last six months has been nothing short of astonishing."

"Yeah," Krillin chirped up as well, putting on a big grin as he looked up at the taller and more powerful warrior before him. "Your moves are looking really sharp now, Piccolo. Those Saiyan creeps are going to be in for one hell of a surprise when they see you rock up on the battlefield."

His focus and meditation broken for the moment, the green demon gave a low sigh before addressing the pair behind him. "Okay. What do you two want?" Piccolo asked, his tone carrying a clear level of impatience.

Kami, noticing his counterpart's immediate rise in temper, decided to take advantage of the moment and continued on heedlessly. "I can commend you greatly for all of the gains you've made over the course of your regiment thus far, my friend. However, don't you think it would be beneficial for everyone, including yourself, if you were to, say… join in with the others as well?" When he saw Piccolo's eyes snap over his shoulder to glare at him, the elder guardian pressed on. "It's just an idea I wanted you to consider."

This statement had Piccolo narrow his eyes on his other half. "Oh yeah? And why the hell would I want to do that?"

It was at that point that Krillin stepped forward and grinned at the big, scary demon. "Well, since we're all working towards the same goal, we figured it would be great if you took some time out of your routine to train alongside us." He then pointed up at the warrior. "Since you're Goku's rival and one of the strongest fighters on this planet, the stuff that you know would go a long way in helping the rest of the team."

Clearly the martial artist wanted to make nice with the Namekian, hence why he was acknowledging his strength, while at the same time engaging his ego. It seemed like the best way to go about it, especially with someone who was notorious for having such a short temper.

Kami was also there to help- doing his best to appeal to his other half's reasonable nature. "It will be good for the whole group," the guardian added immediately afterwards, feeling his grip tighten around his staff at the look Piccolo shot his way. "Not just as a way to develop and refine your strength in a whole new way, but also give you time to get to know your allies' abilities and come up with a few strategies to use against the Saiyans."

"All these years we've relied on Goku to carry our toughest battles against our greatest enemies," Krillin continued, drawing the green warrior's glare to him. "But if what Raditz says about his former teammates' and their strength is true… all of us are going to have to work together to win. Whether we have Goku or not."

Glaring back at the short fighter for a moment before looking ahead of him again, the turban-wearing warrior contemplated their points for a good minute. When he then glanced back at the pair and saw that they were both waiting patiently for an answer, Piccolo eventually rolled his eyes and groaned.

"Okay. Fine. But only this _one_ time. Understand?" the green warrior asked, turning around to glare back down at the human fighter, whose nervousness he saw quickly became replaced by a bright smile.

"Great!" Krillin chirped, only to then step aside when the scary warrior marched past him. After nervously watching their group's former nemesis march away- shadow and all- the initially shaken male then looked across at Kami. When he saw the elder guardian look down at him and smile, the bald fighter grinned back. "I… think that went rather well."

"It's a start," Kami answered, craning his head up to watch as Piccolo made his way over to where Yamcha and Tien were training. Whether he would butt in and offer them some blunt advice or challenge them to a spar to test their mettle was undecided yet. However, with some coaxing, the guardian was sure he'd be able to get his counterpart to playball. A little at a time of course. "Let's hope that this conflict will mean the end of the old era and the beginning of a new, more enlightened path. For _all_ of us."

"Right on," the bald martial artist sighed, at the same time reaching up to scratch his head. After a few moments of contemplating the events that'd transpired thus far, Krillin was then brought to a rather grim thought. "Damn. While all of us are struggling down here, Goku is stuck in _Otherworld_ training his legs off with King Kai and his son is out there somewhere, lost in the dark, cold depths of space. All of this is making me wonder if both of them are having an easier time at their adventures than we are."

Though something told him he highly doubted it, especially in the case of Gohan. Poor kid. The guy actually had half a mind to try and wish his friend's son back first, seeing as how that was what Goku originally requested. Though Kami assured them that the child was alive and well, who knows what he was getting up to right now?

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Back on CP-179)

Suffice to say that while the Z-fighters were making all the preparations necessary to tackle a threat that they considered apocalyptic in nature, billions of lightyears across the cosmos, on the lone, recently desolated world resting on the edge of the _Messier 81_ galaxy, Gohan was currently stuck neck deep in dealing with his own problem. Since this 'problem' in question was responsible for the destruction of multiple worlds and millions of innocent people so far, it was safe to say that the battle that he was waging was almost- if not even more important- than the one his family and father's friends were set to face.

Down on the planet dubbed CP-179, at the base of the colossal tree that towered over every other edifice and lifeform currently dwelling on the slab of rock, multiple flashes and explosions could be seen tearing across the sky and floor. The shockwaves formed from each blast rocked the countryside, most of which were being formed from the various streaks of light that crisscrossed the sky in multiple locations. It was almost like being stuck in a full blown warzone at night- despite it being the middle of the day- where both sides were currently letting loose every tracer and cannon round they had, filling both the atmosphere and blistering the landscape for miles in every direction. Not only was the sound deafening, but the blasts, flashes and explosions were big, loud and continuous.

All warriors were having their skills and techniques put to the test. At an altitude high above the planet, both Gohan and Dore were engaging in a fierce, aerial dogfight with the small and deceptively quick Lakasei, who was darting and zigzagging around all of the ki blasts they were firing at him. During which time the little imp took pot shots at them, forcing the two of them to separate and continue trying to land a decent hit. But due to how small and agile the purple Beenz was proving to be, most of their attacks ended up spraying the countryside and riddling it with multiple craters and holes.

Diving in from up high and deflecting blasts fired at him from the Beenz, Gohan let out a yell and charged down at Lakasei, slamming into him elbow first and meeting the forearm he thrust up at him in a counter. Their impact being marked by a gunshot, both the Saiyan and the purple alien traded a flurry of lightning fast blows, before the child then swung down at him with a kick. Slippery as ever, Lakasei flew straight upwards, dodging his attack and instead zooming up to where Dore was, causing an irate Gohan to growl after him.

"Oi! Get back here!" the hybrid shouted.

Lakasei cackled when he dodged the ki blast the child chased after him with. "Catch me if you can, brat!" he shouted, goading the boy before continuing to fly towards Dore as the Beppa-seijin charged at him. It seemed like the little Beenz was about to take the man head on. But the moment the green warrior took a swing at him, the little alien dove under him and few on, causing the muscle-bound warrior to overshoot him.

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Dore bellowed, powering up and shooting after the Beenz, with Gohan following close behind. "Stop moving around, you coward!"

While the three of them were having a ball above the twisted landscape of enormous roots, canyons and fallen mountains, down on one of the aforementioned Tree of Might's legs, Salza was currently engaged with Amond in a fierce duel to the death. Moving across the wooden platform with great speed and skill, the blond man traded vicious blows with the hulking criminal. Though his shots hit fast, hard, and swiftly from multiple angles and directions, the red-skinned leader of the _Turles Crusher Corp_ most able to tank most of his shots in the chest and gut, all while trying to slug the tiny Brench-seijin across his pretty face.

With Salza ducking under a hook and coming up in the man's exposed left flank, he then aimed a hand at Amond's head and let off a quick blast. In response, the scar-faced mercenary timely deflected the beam with a quick slap of his hand, before letting out a roar and taking another swing at the smaller fighter. The elite captain responded by leaping out of the way and rolling across the root out of reach, before springing to his feet, turning around, and dropping into a low fighting stance with both his hands arcing around him in a very textbook, old-school fighting stance.

"Too slow, big man," Salza exclaimed, earning a smug grin from the bulky warrior while he grinned back in amusement. "Think you can hit me with those big ass swings? I think not."

"Ha! I gotta admit, you pack a hell of a punch for a little pixie," Amond chuckled, stomping towards the captain of the squad with his fists raised. "But if you think fancy dance moves like that can beat me, then give me your best shot!"

With Salza shooting the warrior a smirk, he then prepared to dash forward to engage him, only for both men to grind to a halt when they suddenly saw an explosion go off right next to them. Blinking at the shower of rubble that pelted their position, the two warriors then took a brisk step back when, from the wall of dust, Neiz and Cacao came flying out. The engine on the cyborg warrior roared like a fighter jet as he and his amphibian foe flew right between Salza and Amond, both locked in a brisk exchange of punches as they rolled and flew alongside one another.

Cutting across the landscape at breakneck speeds and causing multiple sonic booms to ring out, Neiz promptly blocked a hook from the metallic warrior flying over him and countered with a sharp elbow across his head. A loud clang and a grunt ringing out on impact, the amphibian warrior smirked and powered up- his body becoming surrounded by a bright purple field of lightning before he vanished with a clap of thunder.

Tracking his foe when he vanished from right out under him, Cacao promptly applied his armor's air brakes- multiple panels on his suit opening up at once and stopping him dead midair. Exposing several jets on his chest, arms and legs, the man then angled himself above the ground and gave a loud grunt, as the thrusters on his suit fired up and shot him straight up into the sky at supersonic speed. The rockets burned brightly for several moments as the warrior blasted up into the clouds, before a loud hiss from his air brakes applying once more slowed his ascent to a controlled stop.

A second burst from his jets to the side propelled Cacao across the clouds at an angle, allowing him to come to a screeching halt directly into Neiz's path. The Zalt-seijin reappeared out of thin air in a flash of purple, the amphibian blinking in momentary alarm when he saw he'd been tracked by the bounty hunter, who promptly thrust his right arm forward and opened up four arms cannons from his wrist's gauntlet.

"GOT YAH!" the robot shouted, before firing off a laser bolt directly at Neiz's surprised face.

Reacting instantly, the brown warrior zipped to the side as fast as he could, dodging the man's shot, before nailing him in the back with a kick from his blind spot. "I don't think so!" The loud clang that followed knocked the bounty hunter spinning out of the sky, his scream echoing out as he plummeted through the thin air.

As Cacao fell, more and more explosions rang out along one of the Tree of Might's many outward traveling roots, as the two forms of the former prince Daiz and Myra could be seen crisscrossing the landscape, engaged in a brisk cat-and-mouse chase. Darting in and out of each other's ranges and trading multiple running blows with one another, the pair eventually took their battle to the air. Shooting up into the sky and coming together, the two warriors traded several hits before Daiz charged in and slammed into his female opponent with a knee, only to watch her catch it in her forearm and hold it back.

Grinning down at the orange-haired teen as she glared back up at him, the punk-rocker of a warrior chuckled darkly. "What's wrong, sweetie. Having a bit of trouble keeping up?"

Not even having to use all her strength to hold back the man's leg, the Hera-seijin scoffed. "Funny. I should be asking you that question." She then promptly smacked his knee out of the way, dodged his straight counter and nailed him in the gut with a vicious side kick.

The blow caused a loud bang and caused Daiz's eyes to bug out momentarily as he was sent careening across the sky. Clutching his stomach from the blow, the man then shot a glare down at the woman to see her floating in place with a cool look in play, which prompted him to draw back his arm. "Little bitch!" he then thrust his hand forward and fired a red blast of ki her way.

Just when it seemed like he would hit her, there was a sudden, sharp flash of red that cut across the sky, a split second before the prince saw his energy ball split into two separate halves and fly past their target. When they struck the ground and exploded in completely different locations, the stunned Daiz saw that his female opponent had managed to produce a whip of solid, red energy from thin air, which she had obviously used to cut his attack in half.

Spinning and twirling her newly formed energy weapon around her, Myra then collected the cable between her two hands and pulled it tight between her, before smirking up at the mercenary.

Letting out a growl of frustration, the armored warrior then cocked both hands back, before thrusting them forward and unleashing a barrage of energy blasts. "Don't underestimate me!" He sent the salvo raining down towards the woman, who managed to deflect many of the attacks with her whip and send his red bolts shooting down towards the landscape. When they impacted, they began rupturing the ground in multiple locations, pulverizing the valleys and causing the tree's multiple arms it was using to keep its hold on the planet to lurch out of place.

As the ground shook under the biblical levels of force being laid down upon the root covered country, the only people that were left to witness it all, were the three little Kitsune-seijin standing on the hill- Kida, Rei and Riko- and the leader of the pirates, who could be seen watching all of the chaos unfold from the safety and sanctuary of his cave in the center of the giant tree.

Seeing several more blasts detonate in the distance and throw clouds of fire and rubble into the atmosphere, caused the criminal organization leader to smirk broadly.

"What an interesting spectacle," the dark warrior in armor said, his red scouter beeping as he analyzed the multiple enemy power levels currently in play. "Their level of skill and teamwork is even more advanced than I'd hoped. This should be entertaining."

OOO

As another series of explosions rang out- caused by a salvo of red energy blasts raining down from the sky- Gohan could be seen springing across the landscape as fast as he could, his hair whipping wildly as debris and rubble cascaded around him from the multiple blasts chasing after him. After zigzagging from left to right across the open field, he then landed atop another root. Watching the last blast explode in front of him, he then saw the large form of his green teammate Dore leap out of the smoke.

When the Beppa touched down on the giant root next to him, the man with the long black hair and scouter-based helmet looked up at the sky from a kneeling position and scoffed. "What an annoying little pest."

Seeing the plumes of smoke and dust part, both Gohan and Dore saw the tiny, purple form of Lakasei come barreling towards them. Grinning widely, the little alien dove towards the pair like a bullet, throwing both his hands forward and unleashing a barrage of multiple red energy blasts in their direction.

Seeing the new attack screaming towards them prompted both Squadron members to leap out of the way, avoiding the various explosions that hammered the tree root. When the pair took to the air, they watched as Lakasei's tiny form touched down on one of the many root below, kick off of it, and then spring back into the air. Arcing over the pair, the small fighter performed a summersault- at the same time unleashing another rain of red energy bolts towards the pair.

"Hahaha! Take this! And this, and this, and this!" the man shouted in a high-pitched, maniacal tone of voice, clearly enjoying the ability to fight so freely across the sky and chase his opponents around with relative ease.

With Dore smacking several of the energy blasts away and Gohan just dodging them with little difficulty, both the adult and youngster glared up at the cackling little imp as he performed an aerial roll several stories above them, before beginning to fly towards them once more for a follow-up assault. By this point the teammates had reached the limit of their patience.

"That's it. I've had it with all of this cat-and-mouse bullshit," Dore growled, bringing his arm back and charging a golden sphere of energy. "Let's shoot him down, runt!"

"Right!" Gohan shouted, bringing his right arm over his left shoulder and pointing his index and middle fingers out, which allowed him to begin charging a golden ball of ki at the end of his digits. "NOW!" He then swung his arm over, took aim like he was pointing a gun, and unleashed a bright, golden flash from his fingers. _**"Kōsen!"**_ (Light Ray) he shouted, as a highly concentrated golden blast exploded from his fingers in a narrow beam.

"_**Flash Bomb!"**_Dore uttered at the same time, thrusting his arm forward and unleashing a larger, more wide-spread golden blast into the sky, which rocketed towards the approaching Lakasei along the same line as Gohan's piercing attack.

When both beams slammed into the purple alien head-on, the guy's body seemed to halt in midair as it was engulfed in a brilliant, flashy explosion. Through the concussive force of the blast and the bright strobe of fire that exploded outwards, the pair could've sworn they saw the Beenz-seijin get split in two from their attacks cutting right through him. What surprised the duo immediately after seeing the imp's tiny body split midair though, was as soon as the bang of the explosion shook the sky and choked the atmosphere with smoke, they suddenly saw TWO Lakasei dart out of the flames and charge towards them.

Dore recoiled. "What the fuck?!" At first thinking he was hallucinating, the Beppa speedily dodged to the side to avoid the first one's charge. The second one however ended up slamming a knee right into the crook of his neck with a loud bang, causing the man to shout in alarm as he was sent dropping out of the sky like a stone. Gohan meanwhile, noticing the first Lakasei flying towards him past his friend, was able to cross his arms over his face in time to receive the pulverizing head butt the alien rammed into with him.

Though he managed to block the locomotive of a blow, the Saiyan was still knocked out of the sky and sent plummeting to the ground with Dore- both of them yelling out in tandem before slamming into the floor. Their crash-landing kicked up a blast of rubble and dust, which shot into the air like a geyser from their impact.

When the two Lakasei eventually floated back up to a higher altitude, both of them pulled up alongside one another and grinned triumphantly at their successful attack.

"Oh? Sorry about that. Didn't I tell you?" the first Lakasei chirped, his armor simmering at the front from the blast that Dore and Gohan launched barely grazing his chest. "I have a twin brother."

"Raisen's the name!" the second Lakasei laughed, brushing off the burnt bits on his front armor as well, before then striking a cocky fighting pose. "What do you think? Did you like that trick?"

"Because we've got plenty more where _that_ came from!" the original Lakasei cackled, coming alongside his brother and swinging his arms out in a second, flashy pose. After which, the two of them then struck the same posture, fanning their hands out and assuming similar midair martial arts postures. "Come on then!"

"Show us what else you've got!" Raisen exclaimed.

Watching the dust fade over the pair's crash site, the pair of Beenz-seijin initially expected to see their two foes flat on their backs. It came as a big surprise to both of them when they saw both Dore and Gohan standing side-by-side, looking a tad bit dusty, but looking in perfect health. In fact, both of them were so unfazed by their opponents' efforts that they were just smirking up at them and the ridiculous pose they'd assumed.

"You call that a battle dance?" Dore asked, reaching up and massaging his neck. "Those moves were about as pathetic as that kick you nailed me with. I barely even felt it. Right, runt?"

"Yeah. That was pretty disappointing," Gohan replied, also flexing his shoulders when he saw the expressions on Lakasei and Raisen twist into ones mixed with nervousness and fury. "If that's the best you two guys can do, then this fight isn't going to last for much longer."

Raisen, clenching his teeth angrily as he glared down at the grinning pair of elite warriors, then brought his arm back and prepared to charge an attack. "You cocky little runt… we're members of the _Turles Crusher Corp_!" His actions were mimicked by Lakasei, who also drew back his opposite hand so that both he and his brothers were mirror images of one another while floating back to back. "Do you think that a nose-wiping shit like you and that brainless idiot are better than the two of us?!"

"Oh, you bet we are," Gohan chuckled while holding up his left fist and jabbing it towards the airborne siblings. "You're messing with the best, assholes!"

Grinning down at his compatriot standing at his right, Dore then raised his arm and clenched his fist. "Hey. How about we show these two amateurs how it's done?"

Gohan, smiling across at his gym junkie mentor, brought down his left arm and knocked his forearm against his in a sign of respect. "Let's do it." The moment he said this, both of them lunged forward, lowered their postures, and set themselves into a jumping start.

The moment the two squadron members took their poses, both Lakasei and Raisen- their hands pulsing and sparking with red spheres of energy- then gave two simultaneous roars as they thrust said hands forward and unleashed their attacks. _**"GEMINI SHOT!"**_ the pair screamed in unison as two enormous balls of red energy launched from their hands, molded together, and rocketed down towards the duo on the ground- increasing in size on approach.

As soon as they saw the large attack plummeting towards them, both Gohan and Dore powered up- their whites auras springing around them- before the pair separated and flew around the comet of an energy ball. Evading the attack meant that the sphere of red ki slammed into the planet, detonating with such force the entire landscape quaked and rocked under its shockwaves. When the two Beenz saw their attack erupt into the air in a massive mushroom cloud, they were then alarmed to see Gohan and Dore flying towards them from two completely different directions.

Panicking, the short, purple aliens bolted, shooting up into the sky while the duo pursued. From there, streaks of white light crisscrossed with red in an awesome display of fireworks, in which both Gohan and Dore attacked the twins from directions and angles practiced that were practiced over and over again in training. They moved and attacked in blurs and flashes, moving at such speeds and with such precision it was an awe to watch them move. Eventually, after chasing the twin Beenz for a full minute, the pair made their move.

When a massive fireball exploded in the sky from two attacks colliding with one another, a battered and burnt Lakasei appeared from thin air. Trialing smoke, the man with the busted lip and cracked scouter growled angrily at the fireball, only to recoil when he saw it part suddenly and Gohan's body come barreling right through it.

Tucked up into a ball, the armored youngster rolled at high-speed as he descended, before snapping himself open and driving a diving kick into the stunned Lakasei. The purple warrior threw his hand up and attempted to fire a ki blast, only to miss and receive a kick in the stomach, which knocked him out of the sky.

He flew back, slamming into something solid when his brother- also sporting multiple injuries- unexpectedly crossed his path, and ended up crashing into his sibling when he flew into him. Both of them crying out on impact, the duo spun around to face each other, only to be interrupted when Dore came diving down from the sky, reared back his right arm and, with a massive grin clotheslined both of them simultaneously.

"ORAAAAAA!" the Beppa-seijin bellowed, a loud crack following his blow slamming across both Beenz heads and knocking them into a flip.

As Dore rocketed past the pair following his running attack, and both Lakasei and Raisen were left stunned, Gohan suddenly appeared in the sky above them. Suspending himself horizontal to the planet's surface and above the two Beenz siblings, the Saiyan drew back his head, inhaled so much air that his chest expanded, before then throwing his head forward and opening his jaw- firing a full-power, _Mouth Energy Wave_ down at them.

"_**Dengeki Taiho!"**_ (Blitz Cannon)

His attack erupted from his mouth like a geyser, swallowing up the two purple aliens, and sent them both plummeting down towards the planet, tumbling through the maelstrom of hellfire the child unleashed upon them in a single, literal breath. Both of them screamed out in agony as they were burned by the flames and dropped at light speed into the ground, which they slammed into amidst the raging torrent of the child's blast. When the inferno lifted moments later and the clouds parted, it revealed both Beenz lying in the center of the crater- their skin charred and armor shredded.

With both of them lying dead and gone, their eyes and faces vacant, they were made the first deaths on the battlefield.

With Dore and Gohan dropping down on the root overlooking the crater, the pair stared down at the corpses of the Beenz, with the Beppa-seijin's scouter beeping brightly for several moments- with all the numbers coming up as zero.

Nodding in satisfaction, the pleased Dore raised his fist and pointed it towards his smaller teammate. "Nice going, little man. Good kill."

Gohan smirked and returned the man's offer a fist bump with one of his own. "Thanks, champ." He then smiled when he saw one of them catch fire and begin to burn on his own accord. "Hopefully this time, they'll stay dead for good."

OOO

(Meanwhile)

As more explosions ripped out across the countryside- felling mountains and forming chasms across every speck of valley exposed by the Tree of Might's roots- the individual battles between the members of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_ and the _Turles Crusher Corp_ were quickly and quite decisively being wrapped up by their respective participants. In the midst of all the chaos still raging across the planet, the remaining pairs were now giving it everything they could for the home stretch, determined to bring home the win.

Well… one side certainly was. The other side was just humoring them for the sake of their egos, before effectively pulling the rugs out from under their feet. It was pretty much the same thing that Gohan and Dore did, as a way to frustrate and annoy their foes before putting an end to them, just like they probably did countless others.

Standing atop a plateau with his feet firmly widened, an unperturbed Neiz frowned as he brought both his hands up and concentrated his energy. Following a few sparks of purple, a field of electricity soon coated both of his hands, which began crackling and spitting wildly in all directions. As he concentrated, he watched as his opponent- the cyborg Cacao- came screaming across the battlefield towards him.

With his metallic armor flashing under the rays of sunlight he passed, the amphibian telegraphed his approach, before eventually letting him have it.

The brown warrior grinned broadly. "You want some of me, tough guy?! HERE!" Neiz shouted, before eventually thrusting both hands forward and unleashing a torrent of purple lightning straight towards his robotic opponent. A clap of thunder rang out as the electricity erupted from his hands, shooting straight towards the oncoming jet that was his opponent.

Cacao, his scouter letting out a warning scream, stopped abruptly and threw his hands forward, just in time to feel the bolts of purple lightning slam into his palms and push him back across the battlefield at breakneck speed. Neiz, through clenched teeth, continued channeling lightning through his palms as he attempted to fry his target, only to watch the silver-plated warrior fall from the air, slam his feet into the ground, and grind to a halt.

All the while his hands, which had previously been coated, had opened up to reveal two ports, which he was now using to absorb all of the purple lightning being shot at him. As more and more thunderclaps rang out for a full several seconds, Neiz eventually cut off all the energy he was pouring into his blast, and stopped in time to watch the robot absorb the last wave of electricity, which crackled and sparked off of his body in small streams.

The plates on his hands snapping closed while his armor let off a hiss of steam as a way to cool down following the attack, the cyborg warrior then snapped his gaze upwards and chuckled darkly. "My turn, frog," he said, thrusting both arms to his sides and cracking open several more panels. The moment he did and exposed several jet propulsion units hidden underneath, Cacao then gave a grunt, before suddenly unleashing a barrage of missile from his armor.

Neiz balked when he saw the rockets scatter through the sky, curling and twisting in multiple directions, before eventually homing in on him and rocketing towards his position. "Shit." Crouching down, the man then bolted into the sky, just in time to avoid the wave of rockets as they bombarded the plateau he'd been standing on and decimated the entire tore.

Shooting into the sky, Neiz then dove down and fly right towards the metal man, giving a yell of effort as he swung at him with a chop. The ground Cacao, standing at the end of two individual trenches formed by his feet, blocked the big fighter's blow, grabbed him, and then tossed him over to the other side, sending him skidding across the floor. Upon which Neiz then leapt at him again and struck out with a barrage of punches.

A series of loud clangs rang out as Cacao, backing off, skillfully blocked the fierce onslaught of attacks with his hands. His defense seemed pretty solid. But his confidence changed moments later when he suddenly caught a sharp one across the face and had his head snapped to the side. A split second later, he was then assaulted by even more punishing blows when Neiz began laying into him with an even swifter combination of attacks, which slowly but surely pushed his body back along the ground.

Avoiding the bounty hunter's attempted counters, Neiz chuckled when he caught the man's fist and locked it up. "Too slow!" He then swung his right leg in and slammed it into the cyborg's forward knee, causing it to buckle inwards and drop the robot to the ground. After which the amphibian then seized one of the weird, metal cables hooping over Cacao's left shoulder and gripped it tightly in his large hand. "Ooh. _This_ looks important!" With a grunt and a hard tug, the Zalt then ripped the cable right out of its host, causing a cloud of gas to spew out of the tube, as one of the key components of the hunter's life robotic system was removed.

"GAAAARRGH! BASTARD!" Cacao shouted, suddenly throwing up his right hand and firing a red ki blast at Neiz, only to see the tall man vanish from in front of him and dart to the side to avoid his attack. As gas continued to spew out of the now cut cable of his suit, the warrior hurriedly stood up and pointed his left arm and fired a second shot, only to watch Neiz dart out of the way again in a blur. He then proceeded to do this multiple times- leaping around the battlefield as Cacao shot at him. Every time he did though, he ended up missing, which quickly frustrated the professional gun for hire. "Damn it! Hold still, would you!"

"Okay," Neiz chirped, reappearing a few feet behind the cyborg with his hands on his hips after dodging yet another one of his blasts. He then grinned when his armored foe spun around and aimed his hand right at his face. "Take your best shot! Right here!"

And he did. In a flash of brilliant red light, Cacao fired a powerful blast right into the amphibian's mug, seemingly vaporizing it and taking the man's whole head off in the process. The bounty hunter narrowed his eyes when he saw the elite warrior take the attack literally at point blank and when the beam dissipated a split second later, he noticed that the amphibian was still standing there- minus a head.

His guard dropping for a moment, the stunned cyborg immediately thought that he had won.

That was until Neiz's headless, still miraculously standing body raised its right hand, pointed it at the robot's head, and fired his own blast in retaliation. The flash of purple was bright and concentrated, instantaneously incinerating the robot's cranium and profile in a single shot. Almost as soon as his blast had been launched at the hunter's face and the energy beam faded, the now headless Cacao dropped to both his knees, before eventually keeling forward and slamming into the floor with a loud bang.

Neiz on the other hand, his body completely unharmed, then popped his head right back into place- revealing he'd simply retracted it into his body after baiting his opponent to take a shot. He finished off his odd dodge by throwing a big grin down at the now dead cyborg. "Hmm. Maybe I took a bit too much off the top? What do you think?" When he saw the robot's body twitch and give off a few sparks of electricity, the Zalt-seijin shrugged. "Yeah. I think so too."

As he was admiring his handwork, the man suddenly looked up when he felt and heard an explosion go off nearby. Glancing across the field to see a wall of rubble and dust falling over a distant hill, he then saw the battered, slightly singed form of the prince-turned-pirate Daiz come flying out of the debris and skid to a stop in the sky above the combusting land.

When he saw the smoke clear around the site of the explosion, he quickly spotted Myra standing in the center of a fractured crater- posture straight, expression calm, and a glowing red, pulsing pole of energy being held in her left hand behind her. Having formed the weapon out of her ki, the adolescent could be seen glaring up at her wounded adversary, while she herself didn't have a scratch on her.

Noticing the unperturbed, bored look on the Hera's face, the infuriated Daiz cocked both hands back and barked, "You insolent wench! You think you're so cool?! I'll show you!" He then gave a shout as he thrust his arms forward and unleashed a massive red energy blast down at the female, his attack plummeting towards her like a meteorite and breaking the sound barrier on approach.

Sighing when she saw the attack streaking towards her, Myra then one-handedly brought her energy staff up and twirled it around her body. When she released it, it spun in an arc, managing to smack aside the red energy sphere and send it streaking off into the distance. The instant it exploded, she caught her energy staff, spun it, and brought it back down to her side- while simultaneously throwing a smirk up at the airborne prince.

Balking in shock, Daiz quickly brought both hands overhead and roared, "Fuck you! Eat this!" He then swung his arms down and fired off a barrage of multiple energy waves, which shot from his hands in a stream and screamed towards the ground like a cluster of missiles- all looping, arcing, and crisscrossing one another randomly.

Beginning to spin her staff around her at high speed and causing a loud hum to fill the air, Myra then began performing multiple acrobatic, martial arts maneuvers- elegantly smacking aside and deflecting every single energy blast that dropped down on her, while those that missed exploded uselessly on the ground around her. Upon effortlessly knocking aside each and every bolt that attempted to hit her, the girl then performed a graceful flourish, stopped in a throwing stance, and cocked back the pole in her hand.

Channeling more energy into her construct and causing the solid beam she'd formed to shimmer, the simple staff Myra was holding then thickened, with a broad-headed, spear tip with accented sides forming on one end of the energy's length. The moment she reshaped her weapon, the Hera then loaded her left arm, took aim with her right, before leaning forward and javelining her weapon right at the airborne Daiz.

All the mercenary was able to do was gape as, in that instant, a bright glint from Myra was followed by the beam of her lance flying up at him at light speed and impaling the warrior right in the stomach. The force of the blow generated a thunderclap as Daiz, lurching over and letting out a scream of agony, was sent arcing through the sky and over a distant cluster of enormous roots. The explosion that occurred the moment the red streak of energy made landfall was colossal, sending a shockwave rippling across the country as flames belched into the sky.

When the smoke cleared moments later, it revealed the very dead Daiz lying sprawled out against the side of the tree root- his armor fractured in multiple places, eyes glazed over, blood dribbling from his mouth, and a massive hole several inches across sitting in the center of his torso.

Remaining in her throwing stance for several seconds, Myra eventually disengaged from her posture and straightened up. Placing her hands on her hips, the orange-haired tomboy of a warrior smirked before glancing to her left, where she saw Neiz touch down next to her. The moment the taller warrior landed, he then whistled as he set his hand over his eyes to look across at the crater she'd formed out of her opponent.

"Nice throw," the Zalt-seijin remarked.

Myra chuckled as she flicked a strand of hair back and looked out across the landscape once more. "Thanks. Personally, I'd give it a seven out of ten."

Her rating had the amphibian male chuckle. "You're a really harsh critic, aren't you?"

The adolescent grinned broadly. "What can I say? There's always room for more improvement."

OOO

(Elsewhere)

Salza meanwhile was just wrapping things up on his end. After effectively laying into Amond with the beating of a lifetime and surprising the big criminal at his speed and strength, the blond warrior now stood atop a large root sitting alongside a large chasm. The man in the purple spandex and accented armor watched with a satisfied smirked as his incredibly beaten and bruised opponent glared back at him from the other side of the cliff, hunched over on his root and clutching a large gash carved into the front of his armor.

Also bleeding heavily from multiple wounds and missing not only a part of his shoulder guard, but a legging in his baggy pants, it was clear the commander of the pirate gang was in serious trouble.

Not caring much for the winded brute, Salza gave a light chuckle as he then swung his right arm out and coated his limb in energy. With a sharp whoosh and a loud hum, his purple energy blade came into full view as he swung it out and took aim at his foe. "En garde," he shouted, straightening up his posture, putting his left arm behind his back, and pointing his glowing right arm at Amond.

Taking in deep gulps of air, Amond then gave a murderous grin of his own and hissed. "Oh. I guess we're up to the fancy moves then, huh? Alright. I'll play along." Bringing his right hand out and concentrating, the red-skinned male then gave a low growl before, with a flash of red electricity, produced a glowing, hot red disk of energy above his palm. The moment the large, spinning mass of ki formed above his grip, the injured pirate widened his stance and readied for launch.

A moment of tense silence then followed as Salza- watching with a cool look on his face and without an ounce of sweat to be seen- observed his bleeding foe as he glared back at him with a clear look of fury burning in his eyes. When a brisk gust of wind cut over the area and sent a cluster of dead leaves flying between them, the two warriors finally decided to make their move.

Both throwing themselves off into action, the pair of battle-hardened aliens flew across the gaping fissure towards one another without hesitation. In that moment, everything happened in the blink of an eye.

With Salza's blade humming loudly as he drew it back and Amond's disk hissing as he locked his arm behind him, the duo telegraphed the others moves in bullet time. Closing in on each other at blinding speed, the long-haired pirate with the scar on his chin timed his foe's approach, watching his posture as well as his blade. Until, with a loud battle cry and a heave of his massive arm, Amond thrust his disk forward- at the exact same time the squadron captain barreled into him with his blade.

Two sharp flashes then occurred midair as the pair passed one another- their attacks ending when Salza and Amond touched down on opposite sides of the chasm- the former in a stylish, lunging pose with his left arm in front and his right arm behind his back- completely different from how he started- and the latter with his throwing arm extended and his red disk flying ahead of him, across the battlefield.

Watching it travel for a few seconds, the former inmate then saw his disk suddenly jitter midflight, before suddenly splitting in half and exploding into a shower of red embers. Gaping at it for several moments, a smirk then crossed the big man's face as he felt his heart slowly beat to a standstill. Heck, he was so caught up in seeing his disk shatter that he was vaguely aware that his body had been split in half through the middle.

"Heh… touché…" Amond whispered, standing straight up, swaying for a moment before, with one last, shaky breath, keeling forward. His body slammed into the ground with a dull thud, ending with a pool of blood slowly beginning to form beneath him.

Upon hearing his opponent fall, Salza swung his blade out and straightened back up into a proper pose, before promptly deactivating his energy blade. Upon doing so he then brushed back his hair and smirked over his shoulder at his now dead opponent.

"You were a strong adversary. But sadly not strong enough to defeat me. Better luck next time," Salza chuckled, before then looking back around to see the rest of his teammates touch down across the enormous root in front of him. Seeing they were all practically untouched and in good condition put a smile on the blonde's face. "Ah. I take it from the state of your uniforms that the four of you won?"

Gohan grinned and gave a thumbs up. "Without a scratch."

"We wiped the floor with those thugs easily," Myra stated, at the same time sharing a high-five with her half-Saiyan teammate.

When the entire group converged on the captain's positioned and formed a circle, Neiz cranked his head over to look at the fallen Amond. When he saw the blood forming around him, the amphibian chuckled. "I guess your opponent found out the hard way not to bring a big ego to a sword fight, huh?"

"Hmph," Salza chuckled while also sharing another look back at the man's corpse. "This man had a very unrefined and straightforward fighting style. There was no way he was ever going to defeat me with such crude tactics."

"Well… in any case, with these losers out of the way, finding out how to get rid of _that_ eyesore should be a piece of cake now," Dore remarked, while simultaneously placing his hands on his hips and turning to face the gargantuan tower in the distance. Seeing the entire edifice jutting up into the cloud bangs above, as well as the vines of the lifeform's canopy dangling through the puffs of white, the Beppa scoffed. "Damn. That's a big motherfucker."

"It looks even bigger up close," Neiz followed up, also appearing quite impressed and slightly overwhelmed by the tree's size. "How in the heck are we going to chop it down?"

"I'm sure we'll figure out a way. We always do," Myra stated with a nod. "A few, full-powered shots from low orbit above the continent should do the trick. But first we're going to have to get those three children off the planet before we start any sort of aerial bombardment."

"Agreed," Salza replied, before then turning to look down at Gohan, who he noticed was still staring towards the giant tree with a rather troubled expression in play. The captain however didn't think anything of it and simply carried on. "Gohan- head on back over to the clearing and collect those three girls you found. Something tells me that they will be very happy to receive a helping hand from the youngest member of Cooler's most elite and famous team of warriors." This statement from the leader of the team had Dore and Neiz grin at each other in amusement, with the latter elbowing the other in the side at their little student's 'big opportunity' to make some acquaintances.

Ordinarily the child would follow that instruction without question. However, after several seconds passed, the puzzled half-Saiyan looked back around at his team and towards the group's leader. "I don't think this is over yet. Didn't these guys say they had a leader with them? A boss?"

His question had the four older warriors balk in surprise, with Myra narrowing her gaze when she too remembered that small detail during their tense back-and-forth with the pirates earlier. "Now that you mention it… yeah. They did."

"Those twins said that their group was called the… _Something_ Crusher Corp," Dore muttered, lowering his head and frowning deeply when he couldn't exactly remember the first part of that name. Mostly because he'd been so worked up while trying to catch those little imps that he couldn't be bothered listening to their blathering. "Uhh… what was it? Tackle? Totter? Turtle?"

"Turles."

The group of five jumped when they heard a new voice echo down from above, which caused all of them to wheel around and face the roots just to the right of the massive tree in the distance. When their eyes fixated on the collection of branches arcing out of the ground, Salza and the rest of his team all blinked in surprise when they saw a new, sixth figure standing out in the open.

Standing at an average six-feet in height and boasting a very fit, muscular frame, was a humanoid male with a rather greyish skin tone. Sporting a full-fitted, blue-gray and black Battle Armor of the exact same design as most of those worn in the Frieza Force, the man had a few very distinct traits that set him apart from all the other alien warriors the members of Cooler's Squadron had encountered thus far. Menacing dress aside, he also wore custom gauntlets with white edges, a dark brown belt wrapped around his waist that seemed strangely familiar, and a standard scouter over his left ear with a red lens. Furthermore, the individual had a very strong, handsome façade topped by black, messy hair that fanned outwards- almost like he'd just gotten out of bed.

Several of the bunched strands made it look as though the guy had devil horns formed in his mop, but that was probably just a coincidence.

Nevertheless, the moment the group laid eyes on the man hovering in the air just above the root with his arms crossed, all of them couldn't help but stare in abject shock and confusion.

Tilting his head upwards, the arrogantly smiling individual spoke again. "Greetings. Welcome to the planet formerly known as CP-179. I hope you've enjoyed your stay so far."

In the thick of the silence that perforated the area, as the older warriors stared at the dark-skinned, ominous looking stranger, Gohan- blinking in disbelief- suddenly stepped forward. Nudging past Myra and towards the front, drawing the squad's gaze down to him, the stunned and overcome hybrid shook his head, as at first he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. But after a few moments of gaping, the boy knew that this wasn't an illusion.

"D-Dad?"

This question caught the attention of everyone present, with Dore being the first to react. "Huh? Dad?"

"Is… Is that man your father, Gohan?" Myra asked, quickly catching on to what suddenly had the child so shocked, as she turned her gaze up to the armored warrior in front of them.

"He… looks like him," the demi-Saiyan responded, narrowing his eyes on the adult floating ahead of them and seeing his startled gaze turn to him. "His face, his eyes… and his hair are exactly the same as my dad's. But…" Clenching his teeth and tightening his fists, the child suddenly felt the stench of danger waft towards him, which caused his hair to bristle and his entire body to lock up defensively. "But that's _not_ him. This man… he's got a foul aura around him… and he reeks of death."

The spiky haired figure floating in the air ahead of the troop felt his brow furrow as he fixed his gaze on the child at the head of the group. When he scanned the youngster's appearance and saw the brown tail waving behind him, the dark-skinned male felt his stomach clench a little in disbelief. "That boy-"

After staring across at the humanoid warrior for several moments, Neiz gave the man a few blinks before his eyes widened in alarm. "Guys. Isn't he a-?"

"No way," Dore whispered, his expression also appearing somewhat stumped. "Another Saiyan?"

"And a full-grown one as well," Neiz followed-up, his eyes tracing over the warrior's figure and taking note of all of his characteristics. "But… But that's not possible."

Salza clenched his teeth as he glared across at the newcomer. "Just what in the heck is going on here?"

Turles, feeling his smile tug back into play at the stumped expressions' on the group's faces, then decided to mess with them a little. "I see that you recognize what I am from my appearance. Though that shouldn't really be a surprise, all things considered." Unfurling the brown belt wrapped tightly around his waist, the man then waved it out toward the side in a taunting manner, confirming for the squadron that he was in fact what they thought he was. "Yes. I am a Saiyan. To be more precise, I'm a lower-class Saiyan warrior and soldier formerly of the Planet Vegeta and the _Frieza Force_." His grin widened even more so. "The name is Turles."

Myra stiffened her jaw as she glared daggers across at the male warrior. "So I take it you're the leader of the group of pirates that we just fought and killed- the ones who planted that accursed tree on this world and destroyed it?"

"That's correct," Turles chirped, though his amused tone carried a very snide and venomous air to it. "And if I'm not mistaken, you five are members of the empire spanning most of this entire quadrant- the elite group known as _Cooler's Armored Squadron_. Tales of your numerous conquests on multiple worlds and victories over dozens of rebel kingdoms and military forces have spread from here, all the way to the western regions. A truly impressive reputation befitting a unit of such high stature. It's an honor to meet you in person."

Finding this feigned ego-stroking to be getting a little bit tiresome, Dore shot the warrior a foul and suspicious look. "I thought Frieza killed all of the Saiyan soldiers on his force when he blew up _Planet Vegeta_\- except for the young prince, his general Nappa, and a handful of other subordinates. As I recall, there weren't any records of a sixth soldier. So how the heck did _you_ manage to survive?"

Chuckling at the Beppa's question, the messy-haired warrior reared his head and exhaled deeply. "It's a rather long and fascinating story. But, since I'll be eliminating most of you in the next few minutes, I'd rather keep my tale short and spare you all of the pointless drivel." He then smirked darkly at the squad. "To put it to you simply, King Vegeta was growing tired of serving under Lord Frieza's thumb and having his family treated as second-class citizens in his empire. Unable to wait for his prodigious son to become powerful enough to overthrow the tyrant and his family, he dispatched _me_ on a secret mission into uncharted space, to search for a rumored weapon that would be able to bring down the all-powerful lizard. Since I was a low-class Saiyan child with an insignificant battle power at the time, it made me the ideal candidate to take on such an important task- as my presence would be able to go virtually undetected. It wouldn't be until years of hunting later when I heard about the destruction of my home planet and the "meteorite" that collided with it."

"So you were away at the time Frieza blew up Vegeta and its people?" Neiz asked, finding it rather poetic that more than the accounted Saiyans had managed to slip through the tyrant's grasp.

"Call it a stroke of good fortune," Turles said while shrugging carelessly. "After I learned of my race's extinction, I decided to make myself scarce and start my own coalition, made up of the biggest, toughest hard cases and killers I could find. We kept on searching for the rumored weapon, moving from planet to planet, keeping a low profile, and following the trail left behind by the races that came before us- until we finally came across the _Tree of Might_." He then tilted his head and smirked. "I take it you already know the rest."

"More or less," Salza grunted as he glared across at the Saiyan rogue. "So, to summarize, you abandoned your people, ditched the Frieza Force, formed your own gang of criminals, and took it upon yourself to use the weapon you were originally tasked with retrieving to gain the power necessary to overthrow Lord Frieza and the rest of the _Planet Trade Organization_? Judging from the planets you've already eliminated, you also have no qualms about sacrificing millions of people to realize your plan." The blond scoffed after processing all of this in his head. "I have to say, you've got a sick and twisted sense of ambition."

"It comes with the territory of being a Saiyan. We are, after all, a race of savage warriors built purely for destruction," Turles answered, a chuckle leaving his lips as he turned his gaze towards the young hybrid he could see standing in front of them and snarling in his direction. "Though I've heard many stories about the _Ginyu Force_ and the _Armored Squadron_, I never would've guessed that of the five elite commandoes making up your team, one of them would be a Saiyan. And a Saiyan child no less." He then narrowed his eyes on the child when he saw the group's expressions change. "Tell me... where did you find _that_ little one?"

Myra, realizing that Turles was singling out her friend, quickly stepped forward along with Neiz, both of whom stood on either side of Gohan defensively. "That's none of your business."

"Hmm. Is that so?" the Saiyan asked.

Before the other members of the squadron could answer him, as Gohan, Salza and the others were glaring across at the Saiyan floating several yards away, all of them then jumped in unison when they suddenly saw he was standing directly in front of them- glaring down at the child. Thinking they must've blinked or had a stroke, a fierce gust of wind blew past them when the momentum of Turles's lightning fast movements caused the air to shudder around him, which in turn prompted the entire squadron to take a defensive and cautionary step back.

The only one who didn't move was Gohan, who was still snarling up at the Goku-look-a-like before him.

Salza blinked in alarm when he saw the Saiyan had practically teleported right in front of them. "How did he do that?"

"I didn't even see the scumbag move a muscle," Neiz gaped in disbelief. "What the fuck?"

Scouter beeping a warning signal as numbers flew up over her screen, Myra felt her jaw drop when she saw the amount of energy the pirate Saiyan standing between them was exuding. "His… His battle power… it's over two-hundred and ten thousand…" She shook her head. "No way. How can a mere vagabond have an energy level so damn high?"

Dore held out a hand when he saw Gohan was still standing within reach of the man and glaring up at him, as if completely unaware and unshaken by the threat they were now facing. "Kid! Be careful! This freak is dangerous!"

After both Saiyans spent about a full minute glaring at one another in silence, the lens on Turles's red scouter beeped into life. With multiple arrows and circles popping up over his screen, he quietly scanned the youngster for a few seconds- watching his bio-signature and energy reading blink across his line of sight. Once the scouter stopped processing and gave him a number, the Saiyan cocked an eyebrow in an impressed manner. "Your power level is _massive_. A hundred and seventy-five thousand? And it's steadily increasing while you're in a passive state. You truly are a Saiyan warrior." A grin then crossed his lips. "You mentioned I resembled your father, yes?"

Gohan's brow creased as he continued to glare up at the taller and much more intimidating looking man. Though this wasn't the first time this'd happened to him, there was something off about him that was causing all of his instincts to scream at high alert. "Yeah? What about him?"

"Hmm. You must've come from one of the outlying worlds our old race sent infants to years ago to conquer. That must mean your father was a lower-class warrior, just like me. It makes sense, since there was only a few types like us… and most of us shared the same build and appearance. Especially if we came from the same clan," Turles answered, deducing how Gohan was able to make the connection between him and his father. After a moment of consideration, while also keeping his eye on the group around him, the spiky-haired warrior smirked. "Say... how would you like to come with me?"

The child blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

"Think about it. If you and I were to join forces, we could destroy Frieza and his family, and rule the universe together- traveling through space, conquering new worlds, and enslaving as many people we desire to do our bidding. I'll teach you how to live and act like a true Saiyan warrior. To become a beast who takes what he wants, whenever he wants- whether it's food, drink, power, or women," Turles stated, at the same time glancing across at Myra with a very dark and sinister glare. His expression causing her to grit her teeth and glare back, the man then looked back down at the child and beamed. "You'll never learn to unlock your true potential with these fools as your mentors. But with me, I promise you'll have all the fun and power you can _ever_ imagine. So what do you say, kid? Interested?"

Seemingly contemplating the man's offer for several moments, Gohan then looked down for a brief moment. A few moments later, he suddenly looked up and widened his gaze. What followed was a loud gunshot, followed by Turles giving a grunt of surprise when the force of several locomotives suddenly slammed into his torso and sent him flying back off of the root. The _kiai_ the child launched was so powerful and unexpected that it managed to carry the Saiyan several dozen yards through the air, before he eventually stopped himself with a sharp burst of ki.

Gohan, fists clenched and face twisted in fury, allowed steam to rise off of his body as his hair billowed about on a stiff wind. Teeth clenching, he then gave a bark of defiance. "How's this for an answer!" White aura exploding around him, the youngster then took a fighting stance similar to his father's and readied himself.

Myra and Dore, grinning broadly at their teammate's response, also took fighting stances- with the former swinging her arm out and generating a beam of red energy, which she caught in her hand.

"Alright, Gohan!" Myra exclaimed.

"You tell him, runt!" the Beppa-seijin laughed, bringing his fists up into a very boxing-like stance as he prepared himself for one hell of a brawl.

Salza and Neiz quickly followed suit, with the captain taking his own, textbook fighting posture and the amphibian coating himself in a field of purple, electrical energy, which zapped off of him in a storm.

"His power level may be greater than ours, but our teamwork will make up for the difference!" the captain shouted, glancing across at his teammates and barking his orders towards them. "You all know what to do! Attack formation: _Alpha!_ Move in from all sides, pour everything you have on him, and don't give this bastard a chance to breathe! Understand?!"

"_**Yes, sir!"**_ the other four shouted, a split second before all of their auras sprang around them, signaling that they were green to go.

The sight of the five warriors all taking combative positions and readying themselves for battle had the airborne Turles blink in a startled manner. Upon seeing their collective energies blink across his scouter, the stunned and slightly winded warrior then allowed a wide smirk to cross his lips.

"I see. So you'd rather fight and die on what's left of this miserable planet, than accept my generous offer?" the evil, Goku doppelganger chuckled. Correcting his stance midair, the dark-skinned Saiyan then shot the group a very menacing, feral grin and shouted at the top of his lungs. "I can respect that choice! A Saiyan warrior's true nature can only ever reveal itself in the midst of battle! To fight, to bleed, and to die through glorious combat, is what all of us were born and bred for! It's what we crave and desire above all of life's pleasures! And since you and I are cut from the same, savage cloth from the most ferocious and primal race in the history of the universe… I'LL GLADLY TAKE YOU ON!" With a roar of pain and effort, the man's body bulked up as a purple aura erupted around him. Veins pulsing and energy level spiking, Turles allowed his power to rage at full burn as he glared down at the members of the squadron with a very beastly and excited grin. "Let's see what the best of Cooler's Empire can do! COME AT ME!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	12. Raider Saga - Collective Effort

**Dragonball Z**

_**Alter Age**_

_Collective Effort_

(Sometime later)

(Above CP-179)

In the streamlined vessel serving as the main headquarters for the warriors of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_, which was currently floating alongside the planet's main moon, up on the bridge the pilot- lieutenant Shira- and two of her crew members were currently surveying what was happening on the planet below. Able to see the entire, cloud-covered world from their position, as well as the gargantuan tree growing out of it, the red-headed beauty with orange skin and bikini spandex kept her arms folded as she stared out at the hunk of drifting rock- wondering if the team was doing alright.

As she was looking out through the massive dome of their bridge's main window, the woman glanced over her shoulder and towards the petty officer currently stationed in the crew bit below the main walkway behind her. Seeing the female alien with red skin and white hair in the armored naval uniform moving between the half a dozen monitors and computer terminals in her workspace, Shira knew that the young woman was doing the best that she could to keep up with the incoming transmissions.

"What's the story, Niyusu?" the lieutenant asked, keeping her arms crossed while watching the female soldier adjust the volume on the console to her right, before pressing a hand over the unit sitting on her ear. "Any word from the team on the surface?"

The Brench-seijin shook her head and frowned. "Nothing, lieutenant. There was a bit of chatter over the comms after the group encountered that group of pirates and eliminated them. But then everything went dark all of a sudden. I think someone or _something_ might be jamming their signals." She then attempted to boost the signal of her receiver by jamming in a few buttons to adjust the frequency and power output. "I'll try raising Captain Salza directly. See if he can give us an update on the group's status."

Nodding in understanding, Shira then glared back at the planet with an uneasy expression in play. "I don't like this one bit. They should've radioed back to us by now. They must've encountered another problem down there."

While the pilot waited on her comms officer to raise some kind of a response from the squad, a loud beeping suddenly started ringing out from the back of the room. When Shira turned around, she saw over at the hologram table the second soldier on the bridge currently surveying the scans of the planet. As new numbers began jumping up on the screen, the blue, carapace alien with yellow markings of Burter's race suddenly looked up at the projections in alarm.

"I've got a reading again!" Deita exclaimed, before quickly looking across at the pilot standing at the viewing window down the walkway. "Five active power levels registering at close to a hundred and ninety thousand each, approximately ten clicks in range of the giant tree. It's the squadron!"

The lieutenant narrowed her eyes on the solider. "So they're still in action? Good."

"Yes. But there's a problem," the blue alien continued while enhancing the three-dimensional image of the giant tree and the five power levels currently blinking in the air space near it. "There's a sixth power level. One that wasn't there before. And it's big… _bigger_ than anything that's popped up on this scouter so far!"

"Talk to me. What are the numbers saying?" Shira asked with a serious look in play.

All the blue alien could do was shake his head in disbelief. "This can't be right. The scouter says that there's a lifeform clocking at close to two-hundred and fifty thousand down there." This news caused the pilot and the comms officer in the crew pit to gape in astonishment, with the soldier working the hologram watching as the blips moved about the three-dimensional image like a couple of flies. "The entire squad is battling it as we speak."

Shira, frowning at the report, then turned her attention towards the planet. It was there, through the clouds and beneath the shadow of the giant tree, the lieutenant spotted multiple flashes and balls of light bursting up all across the planet. Though the ship that they were on was too far out of range to see exactly what was going on, the officer of the ship guessed that the squad was now fighting against someone who was powerful enough that the explosions from their blasts and the shockwaves from their attacks could be seen from the moon's orbit. It was ridiculous.

Seeing more purple and gold flashes tear across the lower atmosphere, causing several of the clouds to part and dissipate instantly, the lieutenant frowned when a particularly big blast took place further up the continent and separated a sweeping layer of the sky. When the flashes moved on, she knew right then that someone was being shot at.

"This is crazy," Shira whispered, at the same time hearing the crackling of the radios below relay the voices of shouting from the five warriors as they chased after what she presumed was a very dangerous adversary. "What kind of monster have they encountered that's forcing all five of them to fight at full power?"

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Down on the planet)

The storm that'd erupted on the planet following the squad's encounter with the Saiyan Turles was unlike the chaos that'd unfolded when they'd broken off to fight the five members of his pirate gang. Not even close. Because as soon as all the members of Cooler's elite cranked their powers up to maximum and the Saiyan criminal did the same, they immediately threw themselves right into the thick of it. What followed from there was a series of explosions and eruptions across the entire planet, as Gohan and his teammates opened up an assault upon Turles- the ferocity of which the lower-class rogue was not at all expecting or even prepared for.

The three little kitsune-seijin that Gohan had encountered earlier, who were still standing atop the root they'd been left on prior to the battle with the pirates, gaped up at the sky when they saw multiple clouds disperse and geysers of fire detonate all across the horizon. The shockwaves generated by said surges of force not only caused the ground to tremble at their feet, but produced noises so loud that the trio could practically hear every single blow landing against all parties involved dozens of miles away.

As they saw sonic booms explode across the sky like fireworks, indicating that Cooler's elite were engaging with Turles in hand-to-hand, the three fox girls blinked in amazement.

"Wow," the orange furred Riko exclaimed when she saw even more wind blasts explode across the sky in a line, before seeing the vapor trails of the warriors crisscross the atmosphere at unheard of speeds. "They're so fast? How can a group of people possess so much strength?"

The tallest one, Rei, her long red hair flickering in the wind, shrugged. "I don't know. But I guess that's why they're called Cooler-sama's best soldiers. They're... amazing."

Meanwhile, Kida- the group's leader and the chief's daughter- who had been staring slack jawed up at the sky for the past several minutes, then put on a serious look as her gaze slowly turned towards the massive tree standing in the distance. A hateful glare locking onto the massive edifice as it jutted towards the heavens, the girl gave the _Tree of Might_ a good, long scan as she considered everything that'd happened to her and her friends up until that point.

All of the chaos and destruction that'd taken place on her home world over the past few days had all been because of that godforsaken eyesore. It was because of the tree's rapid growth that her land and home had ended up destroyed by its parasitic roots. It was because of its hunger that all of her lands once rich, beautiful landscapes had been sucked dry. And it was because of its protectors that her father and the rest of her race had ended up being wiped out trying to get rid of it.

All of the people that Kida and her friends knew and loved, had all perished because of that tree and the people who'd brought it here. And the reason why they brought it here was because of the _mystical fruits_ that it supposedly grew, granting them strength and vitality beyond imagining. The thought of her world being used for such a heinous reason enraged the blue kitsune and caused her hands to clench tightly in anger. So tightly that her nails cut into her palms and drew blood.

Gritting her teeth as she allowed her rage to burn, the young princess eventually took a deep breath and calmed herself. After allowing a period of a few seconds to allow her mind to clear, Kida eventually settled on a decision and turned to face her friends. When she saw Rei and Riko look at her, the young chieftess nodded to them.

"Come on. We have to help them," the young leader spoke.

Riko, balking at her best friend's statement, gave her a confused look. "H-How?"

In response, Kida turned and pointed towards the massive tree poking up through the clouds a few miles away. "That monstrosity and its fruits are why these pirates came to our planet. If they plan on growing more of those on other worlds with other innocent people, then I'm not going to let it happen." Dropping her arm, she then beckoned the pair to follow and began running across the root. "I have a plan. Follow me and stay low." With great agility and strength, she then began bounding across the landscape at a remarkable speed. When they saw their friend take off, the other two kitsune quickly fell behind and began following her across the ruined valley.

Though they had no idea what the young chieftess had in mind, both Rei and Riko knew that they could trust her, and so they carried on.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

"GRAAAAAGH!" Dore roared as the green warrior dropped from the sky with both hands clenched together and locked over his head, before he swung the strongest hammer blow he could muster down on top of his opponent. His attacks impacted Turles' guard with the sound of a cannon round going off, the force of which caused the defending Saiyan to yelp in surprise as he was knocked plummeting towards the ground at an alarming speed.

Like a missile, the rogue warrior slammed into the ground between the system of roots stretching out from the _Tree of Might_, generating a blast so large it ruptured the earth and formed a fissure. A few seconds after dust and debris belched into the sky and the members of Cooler's squadron watched the mushroom cloud form, Myra- appearing alongside Dore- extended her left arm, drew her right arm back like she was pulling a string on a bow, and quickly charged an attack.

As a length of red energy materialized in front of her right-hand's knuckles and formed into a solid, pulsing shaft of fire, the Hera clenched her teeth and took aim at the ground a hundred stories below. When she suddenly saw the plume of cloud break at the base and spotted Turles darting across the valley in a retreat, the orange-haired tomboy then inhaled deeply before- with a growl of effort- released the arrow she had charged.

"_**Kirakira Ame!"**_ (Glitter Rain) Myra bellowed, a deafening thunderclap ringing out as she loosed her attack - the recoil of which caused her body to lurch back and Dore to shield his face from the hot blast of wind she produced.

The arrow Myra released left her hand so fast it cracked the sound barrier, shooting towards the ground at the speed of light that it generated a lightning effect through the air. As it arced down towards its target at a ludicrous speed, the bright red projectile suddenly gave off a flash of light, before unexpectedly breaking up into a thousand smaller arrows that filled the sky and parted the clouds. With a loud hum, the now multiplied attack rained down on the valley in a rain of literal death, which immediately began pulverizing the wasteland, the roots, and everything else standing within range of the salvo's reach.

As numerous explosions proceeded to tear across the country in seemingly every direction, at the head of the primary wave of arrows annihilating the terrain, the tiny form of Turles could be seen rocketing over the barren land as fast as his flight ability could carry him. His armor chipped in multiple places and body covered in burns and bruises, the man glared behind him as he stayed ahead of the volley of arrows pursuing him. Dodging several of the beams that came close to impaling him, the Saiyan watched as each shaft punctured the floor in his wake as they attempted to hit their mark. But despite their speed and numbers, Turles was able to avoid and maneuver around every single bolt, all the while moving as fast as he could to get the hell out of range of the attack.

By the time he managed to pull away from the wave of compound explosions, Myra's attack had ended up leaving a path of destruction so vast that the distance it'd covered would've easily been able to fit a small county in it.

After sensing the the barrage's end, Turles spun around, thrust both hands upwards and, while continuing to fly backwards, unleashed a barrage of purple energy blasts from his hands. "TAKE THIS! RAAAAAAAGH!" The cluster of energy waves left his palms and scattered at virtually the same time, before shooting up towards Myra and Dore's positions from multiple directions.

While the Beppa-seijin bolted to the sider and avoided the attacks, Myra conjured up a red energy staff out of thin air and smacked several of them aside, before then deciding to move out of the way. Upon seeing his foes scatter and his attacks explode throughout the clouds, the grinning Saiyan pirate then spotted a bolt of purple lightning zip across the land alongside him. When he rolled back over and kept on flying, he saw the mass of electricity then dart into his path- blocking him off.

Halting his flight, Turles responded in time to receive a spin kick thrown at him by Neiz- who came flying out of the bolt of purple lightning to clobber him. Catching his attack in the forearm and deflecting the sporadic onslaught of blows that followed, the Saiyan then returned fire with a swift jab, only for the amphibian to zip to the side and counter with another kick.

Managing to grab the tall fighter's leg before it could hit, Turles then let out a yell of effort as he spun around and tossed Neiz across the battlefield, hearing the warrior give a yell of surprise as he was sent flying over the desert at breakneck speed. Before the Saiyan could pursue him, his scouter alerted him to another incoming attack from behind, which prompted him to spin around to block the punch Gohan suddenly came flying at him with.

Expression twisted in concentration, the raven-haired child immediately started lashing out at the larger Saiyan adult with a flurry of punches and kicks- each one of which slammed against Turles's arms as he hurriedly attempted to block them all. Getting clipped in the shoulder by a kick, the pirate let out a low growl and countered with a right cross, slamming it across the boy's face, before then kicking him out of the air. Sending the child bouncing across the landscape for a couple hundred meters, Turles then leapt to the side to avoid the downward chop thrown at him by Salza suddenly dropping down from the sky to attack.

The energy blade around his arm humming dangerously, the captain of the elite team lashed out after the Saiyan warrior with a combination of deadly swipes and thrusts, only to watch the rogue avoid them all and eventually backpedal away as fast as he could.

Upon retreating to a safe distance, Turles thrust his hand forward and fired a purple bolt of energy at Salza, hitting the man square in the guard and knocking him off his feet and into a slab of rock behind him- smashing it to smithereens. "Have a seat!" Upon watching the rock explode into a pile of rubble, the pirate prepared to finish the captain off with a second shot, only to get rammed into the side by Neiz charging around and colliding into him with a shoulder-tackle. Being hit by the fast-moving warrior sent Turles soaring across the landscape for a few hundred feet, before he eventually righted himself with a quick, recovery flip.

Touching down on his feet and skidding to a stop on a distant plateau, the rogue then looked up to see Neiz- suspended in the air across from him- draw his right hand back and throw it forward, unleashing a stream of purple lightning towards him. Blinking in alarm, Turles swung his left hand up over his face and caught the bolt, which slammed into him with such force it sent him sliding back a dozen meters along the rock. His boots digging into the ground and forming a deep trench, the Saiyan snarled as he felt bolts of electricity continue crashing into his hand and sparks whip outwards from the point of impact.

When he felt the blast of electricity being thrown at him by Neiz finish moments later, the Saiyan then lowered his arm and peered through the smoke lifting off of his simmering palm. He then watched with satisfaction at the stunned look that appeared across the amphibian's face, upon which he flashed the squadron's fastest member an amused grin.

"Nice one. You actually managed to singe by finger nails, frog," Turles chuckled.

While Neiz growled in frustration at seeing the warrior was unfazed by his attack, Gohan suddenly pulled up alongside him. The second the boy stopped, he inhaled a deep gulp of air, inflated his chest, and threw his head forward. _**"Dengeki Taiho!"**_ (Blitz Cannon) With a deafening roar, the child opened his mouth and unleashed a gargantuan blast of golden energy, which spewed from his jaws and flew towards the grounded Turles in a torrent of golden fire.

Unable to move in time, the Saiyan rogue crossed his arms over his face and took the blast head on, which instantaneously swallowed him up and proceeded to incinerate every standing obstacle and rock formation around him. As the blast expanded and gushed outwards, tearing into the terrain and causing the air to catch fire, Gohan- still feeding fuel into his mouth-blast- then poured another surge of energy into it. This not only caused a sonic boom to ring out and his feet to slide back along the floor as the flames leaving his mouth intensified, but it also made the beam burn brighter, hotter, and become more dense- to the point it practically transformed into a massive blowtorch. He then proceeded to use it to cook his target and melt the landscape.

While Neiz shielded his eyes from the brightness of Gohan's attack, both of them had every reason to believe that Turles has lost all of the skin on his body. However, amidst the raging inferno of the child's blast, the adult Saiyan was miraculously still standing- his arms raised in defense and an intense glare in play as he felt the energy of the technique bake his skin.

Taking a deep breath through the flames tearing around him in a manner similar to a wind tunnel, the man then slammed his hands together tightly, before bringing his fists to his sides and assuming a horse-riding stance.

"This… is… NOTHIIIIIIIIIING?!" Turles yelled above the flames, before then giving out a loud battle cry. "GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" His roar was matched by a sudden and violent explosion of purple energy, which erupted from his body and formed into a cyclone around him, which tore through Gohan's energy blast and began to push it back.

Seeing Turles power up and send his energy outwards in a form of a protective, twisting barrier, caused Gohan to recoil in alarm and cut off his attack. Eyes widening, he and Neiz watched the golden flames wrapping around the purple twister of energy get blasted away, as Turles extinguished the attack and successfully warded it off.

As the purple wall of energy receded and fell around him, it revealed the pirate was slightly scorched, yet completely fine. Sporting a wide grin, the man shot the two fighters a devilish smirk when he saw the stunned looks on their faces.

"My turn!" Turles shouted, before suddenly leaning over and bolting forward- his takeoff being marked by a crack of wind as he propelled himself towards his foes. Closing the hundred meter gap between them in the blink of an eye, the man slammed a fist across Gohan's face and sent the kid flying, before the bouncing towards Neiz and nailing him with a knee.

Both squad mates were practically rag dolled across the landscape and sent crashing through multiple rocks and barriers. Upon traveling a few hundred feet in two different directions, the pair eventually collided in two separate locations- a plateau and a hill respectively.

Upon seeing the plumes of dust shoot up from their crash sites, a grinning Turles then swung his arms out in a textbook 'what up' pose and chuckled. "What? Is that the best you weaklings can do? Pathetic!" He then brought his hands in front of him and concentrated his energy, which proceeded to form a large orange ring that expanded outwards when he widened his hands. Electricity sparking around its pulsing mass, the Saiyan then swung it upwards and took aim towards Gohan's position. "Let me show you a _**real**_ attack! _**KILL-**_OOF!" He was promptly cut off when his torso suddenly got impaled by a couple of red energy arrows, before Myra suddenly came diving down from the sky and drove a heel kick right into his chest. The attack slammed into him with such force it caused him to release his attack prematurely before being sent dropping out of the air.

His back slamming into the clearing beneath the root he was hovering over- at the same time his attack exploded harmlessly against a distant mountain- Turles flipped onto his feet and looked up with a start. His eyes widened when he saw the Hera diving down at him with a beam of red energy between her hands, which she then swung down at him with an overhead strike. Reacting instinctively, the rogue Saiyan thrust his right arm up and coated it with a film of purple energy, which allowed him to block the adolescent's attack when it struck him.

Floor fracturing beneath his feet from the force of the staff's impact, which managed to generate a loud thunderclap on contact, Turles then coated his other arm with energy and proceeded to engage in a deadly boxing match with Myra. Lashing out with a couple of punches and missing when she dodged them, the Saiyan then began backpedaling in alarm while hastily blocking the onslaught of swift, vicious, yet stylish staff blows from the Hera- who struck out at him with both aggression and great skill.

Sparks flying when he deflected a diagonal cut, followed immediately by a second one when the girl spun into him in a follow-through, Turles then heard his cracked scouter beep at him in warning, which prompted him to spin around mid-parry to catch the sneak attack thrown at him by Salza coming up from behind. The captain drove his arm blade down onto the Saiyan from above, only to see it get blocked against the enemy's coated forearm. With his attack thwarted, the blonde leader growled back at the ruthless pirate before throwing himself into the fray- joining Myra in her assault.

Working together, the two squad members danced around Turles, speedily attacking him from two directions with their respective weapons of choice. While the Saiyan managed to parry and deflect their blows quite well, the combination of attacks from both warriors and the agility they possessed kept the pirate on the back foot- the sweat appearing on his rattled face showing just how difficult it was for him to keep up with his twin attackers.

Successfully managing to deflect and parry a vicious string of blows from Salza, Turles then gave a shout of pain when Myra suddenly slammed her staff into his back and then his rear leg.

Seeing the man lurch forward from the blow to his flank- which cracked his armor and cut him- the Hera then swung her staff back and prepared to run him through. But the second she thrust in at him, she felt her staff get grabbed by his massive hand before being yanked forward and off balance. Turles, managing to knock Salza back with a swift backhand to his sword arm, then turned into Myra after pulling her in and drove his knee right into her stomach. The sharp impact from below lifted the girl off her feet, causing her to grunt out in pain before she dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes- her energy staff dissipating as a result.

The moment he saw the woman fall to her hands and knees, Turles grinned and held up his energy coated right arm, before swinging it down towards her back. But the second the man chopped at Myra's exposed spine to either smash her into the floor or cut her in half, a sharp, golden energy blast suddenly shot down into the clearing from out of nowhere, slammed into the Saiyan's arm, and knocked it to the side.

The kick of the blast shattered his white arm brace, causing Turles to yell out in pain before his eyes snapped to the side. In that split second of pause, the man spotted Gohan standing atop one of the massive, parasitic tree roots and pointing his index and middle finger towards him like a gun- an intense scowl in play.

"Why you little-!" Before the rogue Saiyan could respond to the child's sudden appearance, the now off-balance pirate suddenly saw Myra spring off the ground, spin at him and- with a yell of effort- drive a backwards heel kick into his chest.

The blow struck Turles square in the solar plexus and knocked the rogue flying off his feet, the warrior letting out a scream of pain as he was sent smashing through a rocky tor at the other end of the valley and straight through to the other side. Upon bouncing across the field lying behind it, the Saiyan grunted and rolled several times, before eventually driving his feet and hands into the valley and grinding to a stop. Letting out a gasp of air as blood dribbled from his hairline- at the same time the two energy arrows embedded in his stomach dissipated- the warrior then shot his eyes up and snarled.

"Damn pests! I'll show you!"

Recovering quickly, the Saiyan male stood up just in time to see Myra, Salza and Gohan dart over the rise he'd been smashed through, and took a stance. The instant he was up, Turles immediately began backing up as the trio surrounded him and began lashing out at him from all sides with flurries of attacks. Their bodies moved in a blur as they pressed their advantage, assaulting him with lightning quick, rapid fire blows from all directions and forcing him into a retreat. Though the rogue was able to deflect most of their blows, it soon came to the point where the triple threat became too much for him to handle, and their punches and kicks started slipping through.

While blocking an onslaught of punches from Myra with one arm and countering with a right straight to her face, Salza drove a kick into his exposed flank and doubled-up with a couple of hooks to the warrior's mug. After Turles got cracked across the cheeks three times, he answered the captain's assault with a solid kick to his abdomen, only to then get smashed in the nose by Gohan jumping at him with a punch. The instant Turles staggered and parried the boy's body shot, he was then struck again by Myra coming in and nailing him good across the face, sending blood flying.

Yelling out loud in frustration, the big Saiyan smashed Gohan back with a haymaker and then attempted to kick Myra, only for the woman to check him and drive an elbow across his face. This was then followed up by Salza coming in with several fierce blows that had Turles backpedal away in alarm.

Managing to block attacks from both adults when they attacked him from his left and right respectively, Turles looked up when his scouter beeped in warning- drawing his gaze towards Gohan to see the boy skid to a stop a few feet away on his hands and feet, whereupon the child then snarled up at the man with a white mist floating off of his body. The numbers that appeared had the Saiyan warrior frown nervously.

"_The kid's power level has shot up to a hundred and ninety eight thousand… and it's still growing! What kind of Saiyan is he?"_ the pirate thought, quickly deflecting Myra's kick and Salza's punch, before being forced to block the girl's hook with his left arm and grabbed it. _"If this keeps up, he'll become a serious problem."_ After thrusting a kick at Salza and knocking the captain flying back, Turles hurriedly formed a ki ball in his free hand and thrust it into Myra's stomach, firing off a small blast that exploded and sent the Hera flying back with a scream of pain. "COME ON!" He then threw both hands forward and fired a single blast towards the crouching child.

Gohan, spotting the incoming attack, sprang into the air and leapt right over it, before then bolting down the length of the beam and nailing Turles across the face with a hook. His attack slammed into the warrior's cheek with a loud _**crack**_, causing him to not only black out momentarily, but also sent him into a spin after his blast missed.

With Turles stunned, the demi-Saiyan had every right to continue on with his assault. But just before he could follow up with his attack, Dore suddenly darted in, got behind the rogue Saiyan, wrapped his arms around his stomach, and then hoisted the guy right into the air.

Turles appeared startled when he was suddenly grabbed from behind by the Beppa-seijin reappearing and felt the ground leave his feet. "W-What the?! Where did you-AAAAAAAH!" the Saiyan screamed when he felt gravity suddenly invert as his entire world was quite literally flipped upside-down.

"SUPLEX MOTHERFUCKER!" Dore roared, giving a yell of his own as he swung his entire body back and dropped Turles's head into the earth on the other side. The moment the man's head impacted the ground, there was a colossal shockwave that ruptured the floor beneath the pair, causing the entire clearing they were now fighting in the sink into the planet's surface. As a ripple of earth and dust traveled outwards, causing the land to warp in every direction, the Beppa then released the Saiyan's body and rolled back to his feet.

With Turles unearthing his head a second later after his painful landing with the ground, he then attempted to scramble to his feet and get back into the fight, only to have Dore jump on top of him, bury his knee into his chest, and then deck him in the face with his massive, gloved fist. A few loud _cracks_ rang out as the big green warrior laid on the abuse, smashing the Saiyan's face into the ground with repeated, punishing haymakers. On his fifth punch however, just as the squad member was loading it up, Turles became fed up with being on his back and responded by shoving his hand into the man's face, and firing off a quick ki blast. The fast shot exploded against Dore's mug and threw him off of the stunned Saiyan, sending the big warrior onto his backside.

Removing the man on top of him, Turles then rolled over and attempted to get away. But before he could get up, Neiz suddenly dropped down from the air and slammed his knee into the rogue's back, slamming him back into the floor.

What unfolded from there was probably the most brutal and bloody group beat down on a single adversary that the elite members of Cooler's Squadron had ever taken part in, as every single one of them began jumping on top of Turles and started kicking the ever-living crap out of him.

Hell, you may as well call what happened next what it was- a good, old-fashioned _gangbang_.

After Neiz slammed the brute into the floor and embedded his body into the rock, the tall warrior grabbed the Saiyan by the hair and slammed his face into the dirt two times. With a dull, satisfying crack ringing out from each of his face plants, the Zalt-seijin then proceeded to do it a third time, only for an angry, somewhat dazed Turles to get up, throw his elbow back, and nail the amphibian in the side of the head before shoving him off. The moment the brown fighter flew off his back, Gohan then darted in from the side and tackled the big rogue back to the floor. The pair tumbled over each other several times, before ending with the child straddling the Saiyan pirate's chest, pinning him, and beginning to smash his face in with an onslaught of punches. In full MMA style, Gohan's little fists rung Turles's bell over and over in rapid fire fashion, with each blow hitting with the force of one of Dore's strongest haymakers.

"Erk! Oof! Ow! Fuck! Get- _OW_\- off of- _GAH_\- ME!"

His nose caving in from the repeated hits through his guard, the enraged Turles roared, grabbed Gohan by the neck, and began mashing his own, large knuckles into the boy's mug. Feeling his nose break and blood come pouring out of it, the wild, reckless child completely ignored the fist driving into his face, and continued punching and kicking the grounded Saiyan with his own attacks until Myra darted in from the side and football kicked Turles in the skull. She then helped her little teammate by getting right over the evil Saiyan's head to begin stomping her heel into his face like a dominatrix, until the pirate leader caught her foot and threw her to the ground.

When Neiz darted in and started kick and stomping on Turles's abdominals, Gohan- seeing the Saiyan brute heave himself up and drop an elbow into Myra's back, drawing a cry of pain from her- gave an enraged yell, grabbed the rogue's hand under his chin, and bit into his palm as hard as he could, drawing blood. The pirate didn't take too kindly to that at all- screaming in agony before charging an energy blast and letting the child have it right in the side of the head. The flash of an explosion finally managed to dislodge the little Saiyan and sent him flying, before Turles then fired a second, desperate shot at Neiz and sent him hurtling away. When he then spotted Salza flying down at him with his energy blade of his arm drawn back for a strike, Turles promptly let off a third blast and hit the approaching man in the face, knocking the captain out of the air before he could get to him.

With Turles then rolling back onto his hands and knees and grabbing the nearby Myra by the throat, he then coated his other fist with purple energy and once again prepared to hit her. The girl, not willing to take this lying down, produced a red energy blade and drove it into his neck, only to miss and impale the man's shoulder, causing him to scream out in pain and halt his punch. At the same time Dore suddenly jumped on his back, grabbed the Saiyan, and lifted him off of his female teammate. Both warriors yelled and growled as they wrestled against each other, with Turles flailing and squirming about in the Beppa-seijin's grip and trying to get the green, hulk of a man off of him.

"Ngh! You trash! Graaagh! LET GO!"

"Not on your life, bitch!" Dore shouted back at the Saiyan, his muscles all swelling as he tightened his bear hug over the warrior.

After both scrambled back to their feet and started to struggle, the Saiyan mercenary wasted no time in driving repeated elbows into the person behind him- hitting Dore three to four times in the gut. Feeling his grip loosen, Turles then grabbed the man by one of his arms and attempted to force it away, only for Neiz to suddenly dart in from the side and begin slugging the daylights out of him.

Unable to protect himself as Dore had both his arms locked down, the Saiyan pirate took several crushing blows to the face and body. After one last hit across the cheek left him with his ears ringing, Turles then gave a yell and thrust his head back, hitting the Beppa-seijin holding him in the nose, forcing him to let go, before then lunging forward and decking Neiz across the face- sending the brown warrior clear across the clearing and straight into a boulder. Before he could mount an attack on the Zalt-seijin, Gohan suddenly jumped on his back like a monkey, wrapped his arms around his body, and bit into the side of his neck full force.

"GAH! YOU LITTLE FUCKER!" Turles screamed, trying to pry the child's arms from around him. When that didn't work, he then swung his fist over his shoulder and hit the boy a few times in the face. Loud _**crunches**_ echoed across the clearing as the older Saiyan attempted to get rid of the warrior hybrid. But try as he might, the little runt just wouldn't let go.

Before he could do anything more, the pirate suddenly spotted Myra and Salza flying straight at him. Turles barely had enough time to bring his arms around when the pair slammed into his body with two energy weapons- the girl holding a baton and the captain his sword. Both their attacks drove into his torso and lifted the Saiyan off his feet, sending all four of them flying towards a rocky wall on the far side of the barren grove. Before they could hit it, Gohan jumped off of the man's back, allowing his two teammates to embed the Saiyan mercenary into the barrier and bury him into it.

As the two squad members growled and attempted to push their energy weapons into his body, Turles managed to hold them back with a combination of raw strength and grit. Thanks to being able to catch the captain's energy coated arm with his hand, it prevented Salza from severing anything vital, while his other forearm blocked the energy baton Myra was pushing into him. Though the two of them did end up carving into his armor and cutting into his sides, they missed his kidneys and liver.

After attempting to push both of the lithe warriors off of him, the Saiyan rogue had just about reached the limit of his patience, and yelled out in a rage. "ENOOUUUUGH!" He then powered up to full once more, his purple aura erupting outwards and blasting both Myra and Salza away from him. Severely wounded, winded, and dazed, the Saiyan adult sprang out of the clearing and back into the open.

Hopping across the countryside for a few hundred meters, Turles attempted to get some space to breathe. But before he could even gain a few seconds or far enough away to relax, Gohan and Myra suddenly dropped down onto one of the large roots directly in his path- both of them with their hands cupped in the center together and charging an attack. Spotting the golden ball of energy pulsing between them and glaring through the stagnant air, the bloodied and bludgeoned Turles snarled and swung both his hands behind his neck.

"Alright, peons! LET'S SEE WHAT YOU'VE GOT!" A purple and white sphere of energy rapidly forming between his palms, the man then swung his arms forward and unleashed his attack. _**"CALAMITY BLASTEEEEEEEEER!"**_ The blast he launched from the sphere gushed out of his hands like a tidal wave and roared towards the pair in a while of bright purple energy- threatening to engulf them as it swallowed up the land ahead of it.

Gohan and Myra meanwhile, upon finishing the charge of their combined attack, then swung their hands forward and unleashed it. With a scream of their own, both kids unleashed a gargantuan yellow beam that rocketed forward like a comet and slammed headlong into Turles's attack. The resulting impact between the two attacks was biblical- sending a shockwave outwards that cratered the valley beneath them, before hurricane force winds started to rip across the countryside in every direction.

Clouds parting and thunderclaps ringing out like the heart of a storm, the two sides immediately became locked in an epic beam struggle, where Turles attempted to hold his ground and overpower Gohan and Myra's combined attack, which matched his mass for mass. As seconds ticked by and the purple blast being fired by the pirate started to gain momentum, slowly forcing and pushing the duo's attack back little by little, it seemed for a couple of seconds that Turles was going to win. The Saiyan pirate grinned when he noticed this and prepared to finish it.

However, just before he could do so, the man's eyes suddenly widened and snapped to his left side, where he saw Salza suddenly drop down from the sky, land on a separate tree root, and launch a golden blast straight at him. Responding quickly, Turles removed one of his hands from the blast he was unloading on his two opponents and fired a second one towards the captain's, also stopping it and leading to a dual tug-of-war match between two opponents. The result was a triangle being formed between the groups, with the Saiyan rogue fighting through gritted teeth against the blast from Salza, and the blast from Gohan and Myra respectively.

Feeling his feet dig into the earth as the trio's combined assault started stacking on the load, the pirate believed that this painstakingly long beam match was going to go on forever. That was until Dore suddenly dropped down in his blind spot on his right-hand side and launched a third energy wave in his direction with both hands. Spotting the next attack incoming, Turles let out a yell and projected his purple aura around him, intensifying it on his right side and forming a wall of fluctuating energy that caught the third blast and struggled to hold it back.

By this point the Saiyan rogue was now being shot at by four people from three directions- the sweat breaking out on his face and veins pulsing all over his body showing just how hard he was trying to fend them off.

"F-Fuck you… scumbags!" Turles snarled, letting another surge of energy out in an attempt to force back the weight of the powerful attacks bearing down on him.

Then, a few seconds after Dore jumped into the fray, Neiz appeared above the groups and, with a quick power up and a flash of electricity engulfing him, launched a lightning bolt of energy straight down on top of the stationary Turles. The pirate leader attempted to stop the shot with his aura as well, his bio-field shaping into a protective dome of purple energy around him and catching the crack of lightning that slammed down onto him. Now, with the weight of a meteor now threatening to crush him, the Saiyan was slowly, but surely, pushed into the ground.

Dropping to one knee as the pressure from all sides started to overwhelm him- two beams being launched from his hands while an energy field vibrating around him held back two other attacks- Turles yelled out in agony as the group's combined assault started to take its toll on him. Screaming as his energy began to waver, resulting in the group's blasts gradually eating their way through his defenses- getting closer and closer to their target- the Saiyan warrior then took several deep breaths, panicked before glaring up through the storm.

"No! It's… not… over yet! I'm not… going… to go out… _like this_!" Inhaling once again as he concentrated his energy, the Saiyan pirate then gave one last push before, with a roar of effort, he allowed his aura to erupt outwards. The shockwave he gave off fractured the ground and sent rubble pelting everywhere, a split second before Turles willingly disengaged from the energy tug-of-war battle and shot straight up into the sky. The group's attacks powered through what remained of his energy and collided in the center, causing a massive explosion that decimated the area.

Turles meanwhile got the hell out of there- his aura clad form bolting into the clouds and leaving a vapor trail of purple energy in his wake. When he blew past the astonished Neiz, the five members of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_ quickly gave pursuit- powering up and chasing after the man. With all of them coming together into a textbook attack formation, they proceeded to move in on the warrior's retreating form- determined to finish this fight once and for all.

Scouter ringing, Neiz frowned. "His power level has dropped to half of what it was before!" the man shouted. "He's getting tired!"

"It looks like we've got him!" Salza shouted back, ignoring the pain racking his body as he set his eyes squarely on the retreating pirate. "Once we catch up, finish him off!"

However, as the group stayed on Turles's tail and started following him towards the massive form of the _Tree of Might_, neither of the heroes noticed the foul smirk that came over the Saiyan's face, as the mercenary quickly made a beeline straight for the hollow cave in the center of the majestic titan's trunk.

Thinking that they'll have him cornered in moments, the group gave their jets everything they had and roared after him. When Dore and Neiz took a couple of pot shots at him but missed, they then saw the Saiyan warrior suddenly make a sharp turn and fly right into the mouth of the cave in the side of the tree. With a quick gesture from Salza, the group separated- with the captain and Neiz flying into the cave after the warrior, while Gohan, Myra and Dore broke off and shot around the trunk to the other side to intercept the man.

Salza and Neiz continued chasing Turles through the bowels of the tree, watching his form scrape against the roof as he darted towards one of its many exits. When the pair pursued him through the opening and emerged on the northern facing side of the enormous tree, both of them skidded to a stop and looked up in confusion, as they saw the pirate had also halted and was now facing them with a wicked smile in play.

"Huh? What now?" Neiz asked out loud, at the same time panting for breath.

As the two sides floated there, Gohan, Myra and Dore rejoined them- the former two having looped around the far side and stopping on Turles's right, while the Beppa-seijin stopped on his left. The entire squadron then took a moment to catch their breaths, as they not only did they have their target surrounded, but for some reason he appeared to have been waiting for them.

In that moment, Gohan- his energy and stamina still good- took a moment to inspect the condition of his team. All in all, after butting heads with a foe that was technically stronger than each of them, the group had managed to come out of it pretty alright. While all of their armors were smudged and cracked in a few places, and they were each covered in multiple cuts, bruises and burns, the worst injuries any of them had was the broken nose he and Dore were sporting- as well as the gash over his left eye that was bleeding from the blast he took earlier- the busted lip and swollen eye Myra had, Salza's burnt face, bleeding chin and blood dripping from his forehead, and Neiz missing a tooth and bleeding from the corners of his mouths. This wasn't even counting the fact that most of them were also panting to catch their breaths, having clearly been going all out on the pirate from the get-go.

Turles on the other hand was looking even worse for wear. Including the two puncture wounds in his torso, the gashes in his armor and flesh from Salza's blade, and the big hole in his shoulder, the man also had bite marks on his right hand and a good chunk of flesh missing from his neck, he had multiple burns and bruises, a swollen left eye, blood dripping from his hairline, a bloodied lip, and a couple holes in his back. His scouter was also slightly cracked, having taken quite a few heavy hits to the face.

He was also breathing noticeably hard- and from the tired look in his eyes it was clear to the squad that the guy was practically on his last legs.

After staring across at one another for a full, good minute, the clearly winded Turles smirked broadly. "It seems that the five of you are getting a little tired. I hope I'm not working you too hard."

Dore snorted at the man's comment. "Hmph. Look who's talking."

"You act tough. But it's clear to all five of us that you're reaching your limit," Myra spoke up next.

Salza, rolling his sore jaw in an offhanded manner, then shot the warrior his usual, serious glare. "It's over. You lose. Surrender now… and the worst you'll have to suffer is a swift and painless death. If not… then we'll have no other recourse but to bring you down the hard way. Your choice, friend." After all, they had their emperor's orders to follow. Search and destroy.

"Hm…?" Feigning momentary thought, Turles allowed his head to tilt, before allowing a sinister grin to cross his lips. "How about I choose option three?" He then swung his right arm around, where he revealed he was holding a round, red ball. At first the squad didn't know what it was. However, when the Saiyan raised it up to his lips and into a better position, the group saw that it wasn't some item- but a weird, studded fruit. "If you thought I was strong before, watch this."

Salza's eyes widened. "Wait… isn't that-?"

Before the captain could finish his question and before any of the others could move with any kind of physical action, Turles hurriedly took a big chomp out of the side of the _Tree of Might's_ fruit. Feeling the moist flesh fill his mouth and engulf his senses, the man then gulped it down and set the bitten fruit in the belt of his tail.

Almost a split second after the man swallowed the juicy piece of fruit, his body underwent a startling transformation. Like a series of miniature explosions going off all at once, all of the muscles from the base of his neck to the bottom of his calves burst and expanded outwards. His body swelled and receded in an instant, the sounds of low blasting indicating that every fiber in his being was torn apart and regenerated in the blink of an eye. In that moment, a newfound sense of power rushed through every single nerve ending of his body, shooting through him like a bolt of lightning and causing the Saiyan to straighten upright with vigor.

Almost immediately the five members of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_ saw their scouters light up with multiple caution/warning signals. The devices practically screamed in their ears as the numbers skyrocketed, before eventually capping at the Saiyan's new power level. All at once, every person present in the group recoiled in alarm at what they saw, with Dore's eyes almost bugging out of his skull in shock.

"Oh. That's not good," he said out loud, as the number on his screen jumped from a reinvigorated and worrying 200,000, all the way up to over 2,000,000.

When Turles flashed them all an evil smirk, the Saiyan suddenly vanished from the center and reappeared directly in front of Gohan. Before the child could so much as gasp, the man swung his arm back and thrust it forward- a sickening squelch sound ringing out as his hand punched straight through his opponent's armor and into his stomach. A split second later, the stunned demi-Saiyan coughed up blood as his stunned, glazed eyes stared up at the smiling face of his father's look-a-like.

Keeping his arm firmly embedded in the hybrid's chest cavity for a couple of seconds as the other members of the squad looked across at them in disbelief, Turles then chuckled at the horrified expression on Gohan's face. "You're the most dangerous one here, so I'll get rid of you first." He then shrugged when all he heard from the youngster were a few choked coughs as blood dribbled down his chin. "Nothing personal, kid. I'm sure you would've made a great Saiyan." With that last bit said, he then yanked his arm out and allowed the fatally wounded child to fall out of the sky.

Myra, realizing right then what had happened, screamed out in horror when she saw her student and best friend, plummet towards the wasteland below. "GOHAAAAAAN!"

Watching the now dead youngster vanish from sight, Turles turned to the Hera- revealing all of his injuries had been fully healed, save for the light splatter of blood from his most recent victim across his cheek. Upon seeing the adolescent's eyes look up at him in horror, the rejuvenated warrior shot the female a very twisted and murderous grin.

"Now… where were we?"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Author's Note:** I think at this point, it should be worth pointing out that most of the characters that have appeared so far mostly originated from the DBZ world. While anthropromorphic characters have indeed appeared in Dragonball in the past, most of them were not really prominent characters. I switched that up by introducing Kida and her friends. I was inspired to write Kida based off of _**Krystal** _from _Star Fox_, as her appearance and manner of dress are almost virtually similar to her in every way. Plus she's one of the hottest game characters I remember ever encountering- and I'm sure a lot of you will agree. lol

As for the others, most of them are either cameoing, or will be present for future events. I'll list them right now:

Kikono - _The main scientist in the Frieza Force- and apparently the creator of most of their technologies, including the ships and armors- Kikono is currently working in Cooler's Force as one of his supporters. His presence with Cooler explains his absence in earlier media of DBZ. First appears in **Dragonball Super: Broly**._

Berryblue - _Advisor to Frieza and apparently a prominent figure from his childhood, she is currently serving as Cooler's advisor and adjutant, and is a person that Cooler holds some manner of respect towards. First appears in **Dragonball Super: Broly.**_

(Since I included these two, it's safe to assume which route I'm going in terms of which Broly I'm going to be using)

Niyusu - _Appears in the manga** Oh! New Jump Super Lovers** created by Naho Ooishi, she is a member of a group that parodies the Ginyu Force, but appears as a crew member on board The Comet. She is essentially a female version of Jeice. Profiles can be found on the dragonball wikia._

Deita - _Also appearing in the same manga as Niyusu, he is her teammate and is essentially another, parody version of Burter, who resembles Burter and Cell fused together._

Gunnird - _Lord Gunnird appears briefly at the beginning of chapter 9 and is essentially a parody character of the one that appeared in the Star Wars: Clone Wars miniseries, which I took heavy inspiration from for Gohan's first mission with the team._

Turles Crusher Corp - _Each member was given a more in-depth profile according to releases of V-Jump and the Tree of Might pamphlet, as seen in the wikia. The previous chapters enforces these aspects and gives their back stories more significance._


	13. Raider Saga - Legend Returns

**Dragonball Z**

_**Alter Age**_

_Legend Returns_

"YOU _BASTARD_!" Myra screamed, rushing right at Turles and taking a big swing at him with her right, only to see him side-slip her blow and feel all the air get knocked out of her lungs when the warrior drove a knee right into her stomach, causing her to lurch forward and spit up blood. "Urk!"

Now back to full, fighting fitness and more powerful than ever, Turles smirked down at the adolescent now hunched over his leg. "Now don't fret. You should be happy I killed him first… since I've spared him the pain and despair of watching what I'm about to do to _you_." Swiftly removing his leg from the Hera's gut, the man then drew back his arm and smashed the stunned girl in the side. The force of his blow generated a deafening crack that reverberated across the sky, while simultaneous hurtling the stricken girl across the barren countryside. As her body proceeded to slow, Turles promptly darted after her.

Appearing over her body, the warrior raised both his arms over his head, locked his fingers together, and slammed them down into her stomach. The crushing blow resonated with a second thunderclap that had Myra cry out in pain, before she was sent plummeting towards the ground, which she collided with catastrophic force. Her landing was so violent, it caused not only the ground to rupture, but also sent a geyser of dust and rubble shooting over two dozen stories into the sky.

Chuckling at seeing the enormous crater form in the country's surface, the hovering Saiyan rogue then saw his scouter beep at him, which caused him to turn around to see Neiz, Dore and Salza all flying towards him in a line.

"You're going to pay for that, you asshole!" Dore roared from behind his Zalt-seijin partner, as the fastest warrior in the group led the charge towards the spiky haired pirate.

Shaking his head at how slow the three men were all moving from his point of view, Turles decided to show them who was top dog and bolted towards them. Moving faster than any of their eyes could track, the Saiyan blasted right past Neiz- appearing as nothing but a gust of wind to the warrior- before eventually reaching the Beppa-seijin and slamming his palm into the wrestler's face. The green warrior could only give a muffled yelp of shock as he was grabbed by the face and sent flying backwards, as Turles dragged the hapless fighter through the sky, past a stunned Salza, and back towards the _Tree of Might_.

Without even slowing down, the pirate leader viciously slammed Dore's HEAD into the trunk, punching a human-sized divot into the wood and burying the Beppa's face into it. Following a dull _**crunch**_ and a blast of dust, Turles then released his hand from the warrior's head to reveal he'd shattered the poor guy's helmet. As the protective head gear fell away, it revealed a bloodied and unconscious Dore pinned against the side of the tower. Eyes blank and mouth agape, the hapless wrestler eventually dislodged from the side of the tree and dropped towards the ground.

Snickering at taking down the three fighters with such ease, Turles then casually turned around to see Neiz charging towards him.

With his body surrounded by a field of crackling purple lightning and an infuriated expression slapped over his face, the fully powered up Zalt-seijin roared as he flew right at Turles, determined to end the mercenary for good. "YOU'RE DEAD!" Neiz screamed, thrusting his fist towards the man at speeds greater than sound.

Appearing completely unfazed, Turles casually zipped to the side, vanishing from in front of Neiz and causing him to overshoot his previous position. Tracking the fast-moving mercenary, the brown-skinned fighter snarled and gave chase, a sonic boom ringing out as he sharply changed directions and rocketed after the pirate.

Flying backwards with his arms casually crossed in front of him, the criminal leader smiled as he watched the glowing squad member shoot towards him as a mass of vibrant light. Waiting for him to catch up while he cruised across the clouds, Turles then shot skywards in a blur, causing Neiz's kick to miss before the tall fighter's purple aura intensified and he pursued once again.

An observing Salza looked on with a nervous expression in play as a perilous cat-and-mouse game between the two began, in which he saw the purple bolt that was his friend streak across the sky in an attempt to catch the dark blur that was his target. Back and forth they traveled, zipping in multiple directions and leaving respective vapor trails in their wake. Whenever it appeared Neiz was about to catch up to his foe, the Saiyan would just shoot off in another direction, leaving the alien fighter in his dust, before the lightning imbued hero decided to follow.

After about a minute of tauntingly avoiding all of Neiz's attempts to land a hit, Turles then decided for one more run- lapping around the entire tree at a casual speed, while the brown warrior zoomed after him at top gear. With his arms out like a plane and head down as he looked under him to see the purple bolt of his opponent right on his tail, the pirate sped on and on, before eventually choosing to make his move.

Just as Neiz looked as though he was about to catch his foe for the twentieth time in a row, he suddenly noticed Turles vanish in a flicker. A split second later, the tall, speedy warrior was blindsided midflight when the pirate unexpectedly charged at him from the side and nailed him across the face with a hook- smashing him across the sky and dispelling his aura.

Neiz spiraled through the air before colliding with the side of the massive _Tree of Might_\- a shout of pain leaving his stunned lips. The instant he collided with the wood, Turles dropped down from above and smashed an axe-kick right on top of him, sending the man into the roots and smashing his body into one of the large arcs protruding from the bottom of the tree.

When the dust cleared and Turles saw Neiz lying in the large crater formed in the root he'd been promptly embedded in- his armor cracked in multiple places and his body sprawled out in a state of unconsciousness, the Saiyan rogue smirked.

"With this fruit, I'll become the most powerful warrior the universe has ever seen. And every living creature in existence will come to know Turles as their rightful king and ruler," the pirate exclaimed, puffing his chest out as his ego and assurance of his victory skyrocketed. He then turned his gaze skywards and chuckled. "You weaklings are so pathetic. Now that I've become like this, neither one of you has a hope in hell of stopping me. Who knows? Perhaps after I crush Emperor Cold and his family, I'll take my conquest even further… and overthrow the Gods themselves."

Just as the arrogant villain was about to start daydreaming, a loud crack rang out when he felt something hard and small slam into his back. Blinking at the humming sound that filled his ears, he then looked over his shoulder to see Salza floating behind him- having charged in and rammed his purple, energy blade surrounding his arm into the Saiyan's back. Or at least attempted to.

Because while his attack had pierced through Turles's back armor, his blade had ended up being blunted against the man's back muscles. While the blade itself had cut into his skin, it'd gone shallow, meaning that all Salza could do was float there and attempt to push his sword through.

But try as he might, his hand would not budge. When he realized that his sneak attack had been rendered ineffective, the captain looked up at the Saiyan rogue with a start.

"No way…" the man choked out, feeling a sense of terror grip him when he saw the mercenary glaring back at him over his broken shoulder guard.

Turles's frown deepened. "Really? Is that it?" Just before the Saiyan could turn around, Salza removed his arm from the warrior's back plating and leapt out of reach as fast as he could. Seeing the terrified look on the captain's face, the rogue chuckled and lifted his arms. "Come on. You have to do a lot better than that, my friend."

Salza, shivering as he floated several yards away from the Saiyan pirate, clenched his teeth as his blade continued humming loud. "Grr… I wouldn't get cocky if I were you! Just because you've gotten a bit stronger than before, doesn't mean you'll be able to win against us, pirate scum."

"Hmph. A _bit_ stronger, you say?" Turles repeated, raising a hand and looking down at it thoughtfully. He then flexed the fingers of said hand testingly. "If I was to make an educated guess as to how much I've evolved, I'd say that I've already far surpassed Frieza's first form. At this rate, if I was to eat a few more fruits from the _Tree of Might_, I'll easily be able to eclipse the great tyrant's full power… as well as that of his family members. It's only a matter of time."

Shaking with anger and fear, the blond captain of the squadron growled. "You think we'll let that happen? Because as long as I still have breath in my body, I'm not letting you get off this planet alive."

Hearing this, Turles shot the man a smirk. "Oh, really? Well, I'd like to see you try and stop me." He then brought his other hand up and rapped it against his cracked chest armor. "You may be a weakling, but you're a brave weakling nonetheless. And since I'm a man of good sport and fair play, I'll let you have one free shot at me. _Right here_." Following this, he then drew an 'X' against his armor with his finger and grinned broadly. "Don't hold back now. Because if you miss, I'm not going to give you another chance."

Sneering through his jaws as he felt beads of sweat roll down his face, an enraged Salza then took a deep breath as he allowed his energy to concentrate around his hands. His energy blade receding as his pink aura burst around him, the blue-skinned warrior then gave a low growl as his power capped at its absolute max level. "Alright! If that's the way you want it!" Without an ounce of hesitation, the blond haired captain swung his right arm forward, gripped its wrist with his left, straightened all fingers, and let Turles have it. _**"SEISHIN FURASSHU!"**_ (Spirit Flash)

A blinding golden light then erupted from Salza's outstretched hand as a spear-shaped blast shot straight towards Turles. It impacted near instantaneously, causing a deafening explosion to engulf the floating Saiyan and seemingly incinerate every trace of him. As a massive fireball filled the sky and blanketed the area in smoke, the captain of the squadron narrowed his eyes on the area ahead of him and remained on guard. When he saw the wall of hot ash lift from the vicinity, his jaw dropped when he saw the Saiyan pirate still floating in place- smoke wafting off of his chest armor where he'd been hit, yet remaining completely unharmed.

When he saw Salza's startled face emerge from the other side of the veil of flames, an unperturbed Turles smiled coyly, lifted his right hand, and brushed some dust off of his broken shoulder accent. He then lowered said arm and just floated there for a few seconds, allowing the startled captain's shock to run full circle.

Once the allotted time had passed, the stationary Turles commented. "Nice light show."

Before Salza could make a comment, the Saiyan floating a distance from him suddenly vanished, before he was unexpectedly smashed in the face by the pirate flying into him with a head butt. The blow struck with a clap of a shockwave, drawing blood from the blonde captain's forehead as he was sent spinning backwards through the air for quite a distance.

Initially knocked into a daze, when the squadron leader eventually shook himself back into a conscious state, Salza clenched his teeth, growled, and halted his momentum with a sharp blast of ki. Body stopping instantly midflight, the wounded man with blood now running down the center of his face thrust both hands out and produced two large, purple energy blades around his hands. The laser swords extending to even longer than normal and humming loudly, the squad leader panted heavily and, through a slightly blurry vision, charged forward.

"HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Salza roared, rushing towards Turles with his duel blades activated as the Goku-look-a-like floated in place with a cocky grin in play.

From there, Salza proceeded to lash out at the warrior with all the fury and rage he could muster. Shouts and yells echoed across the sky as he attempted to hit Turles and cut him in half. But even with anger and rage driving his assault forward, the Saiyan pirate still held an edge in speed and dexterity over the smaller warrior, who he allowed to go full ham on him as he casually avoided and slipped around every slash and chop of his arms. Purple flashes filled the sky as Salza chased Turles round in circles, trying over and over again to land at least one honest to goodness strike against the evil rogue.

"Damn you! Damn you! DAMN YOU!" Salza roared between strikes, sharply changing directions and blasting after his foe, taking another couple of swings at him. When he saw the Saiyan casually slip around his blows, the blond warrior barked. "You won't win! YOU WON'T!"

Unfortunately for him, his efforts were completely fruitless, and all he got for his troubles was a bout of laughs from a thoroughly amused Turles, who floated just out of reach of the furious and bleeding Salza.

Clearly he was toying with the man.

Meanwhile, as the battle was unfolding overhead, down on the ground about a mile or so away from the _Tree of Might_, with her face in the dirt and her body thoroughly battered, a still miraculously conscious Myra painfully pushed herself out of the dust. Bleeding from her mouth, forehead, and sporting a new multiple of bruises, the stricken teenager shakily pulled herself up and shook her head.

Vision slightly blurry as pain racked her entire body, the wounded Hera slowly looked over her shoulder. Through the broken visor of her scouter, she saw up in the sky her team leader chasing after Turles with a string of vicious attacks. Seeing the pirate casually avoiding every one while her captain desperately tried to land a blow, caused the dazed Myra to snarl through bloodied teeth as her fingers dug into the dirt.

"Y-You… You'll pay… for what you did… to him-" she hissed, tears building in the corners of her eyes as she glared up at the Saiyan thug in the sky as he toyed with Salza, dodging his sword strikes before eventually backhanding the man away in a mocking manner. The strike drew blood, but the captain of the squadron continued attacking. "YOU'LL PAY!" Her green aura exploding around her, the wounded Myra stood up, clenched her fists, and blasted into the sky, towards the Saiyan's back.

As Turles was busy dancing between all of Salza's thrusts and slashes, he seemed completely unaware of the newly recovered Hera charging at him from behind. When the girl conjured up a spear and swung it forward to impale the man in the back, she was then stopped in her tracks when the Saiyan spun around and parried her thrust with a swing from his forearm. Sparks flying as he pushed back against Myra as she glared daggers at him, the pirate smirked broadly before pushing her off.

From there, both Salza and Myra attacked- striking out at the Saiyan from two directions.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

As the two elite warriors of Cooler's band desperately tried to bring down the now seemingly unstoppable Turles- who continued to toy with them and laugh at their pitiful attempts to stop him- down at the base of the _Tree of Might_, a figure was stirring.

Among the thick, towering roots and rolling, barren hills being crushed beneath them, the three other members of the squadron were currently in various states of defeat and consciousness.

Neiz, having been the most recent fighter to be taken out, was still lying sprawled out in a crater of his own making- embedded in one of the large tree roots protruding from the western side of the edifice. From the way his body was twitching, while his face remained devoid of expression, it was clear he was out like a light.

Dore was currently lying in a ditch at the very base of the tree, having simply fallen from where he'd been shoved into the side. No longer sporting a helmet or scouter, the badly injured Beppa-seijin had recently regained consciousness. Broken, weakened, and woozy, the man dragged his body along the ground with his arms, attempting to army crawl to a more advantageous position at the top of a hill. But judging from how bad he was bleeding, it was clear that he was in a pretty bad way. A skull fracture and a concussion was not something easy to shake off.

And as for Gohan, the boy was in a far worse state. Lying atop a raised section of earth in a sprawled out position, the youngster was struggling to breathe due to the massive hole in his gut- put there by his opponent. Fingers clawing at the ground, eyes tightly shut, and blood dripping from his mouth, the youngster panted and wheezed at an agonizing rate- every so often giving out a low groan against the enormous amounts of pain shooting through his system.

So far he'd been lying in that state for some time, bleeding out, completely unconscious, and teetering on the edge of death. It was a miracle that he was even alive in the first place, given how big the hole in his body actually was. Nevertheless, it was clear to anyone who could see him that if he didn't get any help soon, he was going to be in a lot of trouble.

As a matter of fact, help was on its way.

As multiple blasts and sonic booms rung out across the sky as Myra and Salza clashed with the newly empowered Saiyan criminal, hopping up onto the low sweeping plateau wedged between the roots of the massive tree, the three small forms of Kida, Rei and Riko scampered over to where they saw the child was lying. Having witnessed what'd happened and sensed his once large power level drop like a stone, the trio of kitsune-seijin made sure to finish up what they'd been doing, before hurrying down to the bottom of the tree to assist the youngest member of the squad.

When they arrived at the small divot where he was lying, the youngsters were understandably shocked. Finding the child that'd come to their rescue with his team, lying there with a hole in his stomach and on the brink of death, was not something that they were hoping to deal with. Kida rushed over to the unconscious boy and kneeled next to him, placing a hand over his shoulder and checking his vitals with her other.

As her friends Riko and Rei came up behind her, the blue kitsune shook her head when she looked at the youngster's face. "His life force is fading. This… This isn't good."

Riko, carrying a large sack of something over her shoulder that hadn't been there before, gazed down at her friend in worry. "Can we save him?"

"What can we do?" Rei asked, at the same time looking between her friends.

Frowning as she gripped Gohan's shoulder tightly, Kida then proceeded to lightly shake the hybrid to get a reaction from him. "Please. Please, wake up. You have to wake up." Flinching when another sonic boom went off close overhead and glancing upwards, the blue fox girl clenched her teeth and shook the boy harder. "Please, Gohan-kun. That… man. That monster… if… if you don't stop him now… he's going to come down and kill us. _All of us_. We won't be able to stop him. Y-You have to get up…"

Seeing the boy's face tighten and a low groan leave his bloodied lips, Rei's expression became that of frustration and fright. "It's no good. He's too badly hurt. He can't hear you."

"W-We have to keep trying," Riko spoke up, her voice carrying a weight of desperation behind it.

Another explosion rang out nearby, so close that it caused all three children to jump and look behind them in alarm. What followed soon after that blast was a loud scream from Myra, as the female member of the squad had a kick slam into her stomach, which then sent her dropping out of the sky. Seeing her body violently smash into the landscape below, the group of kitsune-seijin couldn't help but feel their stomach tighten and their hearts stop dead.

Salza, by some miracle, was now the only one left.

Due to being so caught up in the battle that was now happening, the trio of girls completely missed the sight of Gohan's fists clenching in the dirt, and his expression twisting into one of discomfort and anger. At the same time, a hot steam started to rise off of his body, slowly but surely filling the air above him as it wafted off of his skin.

Gritting her teeth nervously, Kida turned to Riko and held a hand out to her. "Quickly! Give me one of those fruits!"

The brown haired fox girl blinked in surprise. "Huh? Y-You want me to-"

"Just give it! Quick!" the chief's daughter barked, her face steeled into one of resolve.

Hearing her urgency, the orange-furred child quickly swung the sack around and opened it up, revealing she'd been carrying a whole bunch of the same fruits that Turles had grabbed earlier. Judging from how many there were and that they were filling up every inch of the bag- practically squishing against one another in the process- it was safe to say that the trio of clever youngsters had managed to pluck every single one out of the cave without the pirate or the squadron noticing.

After grabbing the top fruit and tossing it to Kida, the blue haired kitsune then took a deep breath and turned to face Gohan. Upon looking at his lips and confirming that he was in no state to chew anything while unconscious, the kitsune took a bite out of the fruit and chewed it up for him. Once she was sure the fruit had been mashed up enough, she then leaned over Gohan, grabbed his chin, nudged open his mouth, and pressed her lips to his.

She then proceeded to feed him mouth-to-mouth, making sure the boy swallowed the fruit she'd readied, before pulling away moments later. Watching the youngster struggle momentarily to get it down, she, Rei and Riko held their breaths and observed…

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Salza, having taken far more damage than before, yet still trucking along at a painful rate, darted forward with a battle cry and swung his right arm down at the smirking Turles in a last, ditch effort to cut him in half. However, just as his arm was close to carving through the man's chest, the Saiyan's large hand suddenly shot up and caught his wrist- stopping his blade dead.

Casually holding it back with very little difficulty, it seemed like the rogue was about to take full advantage of the captain's failed attack to end him once and for all. But before the pirate could do anything, the wily squadron leader snarled and swung his left knee up towards the warrior's torso, slamming it into him and causing him to lurch forward. The grunt of surprise Turles gave out came mostly thanks to the fact that Salza, coating his leg in the same purple energy he did to his hand, had managed to form a blade at the end of his knee, and drive it straight through the man's armor around his stomach- effectively impaling him.

Feeling the energy blade dig into his flesh as the captain forced it through, Turles then gave an angry snarl and looked up to see Salza flash him a cocky grin. "You sneaky bastard." Not liking that reaction one bit, the Saiyan promptly tightened his grip over the captain's arm until a loud crack echoed out. This was then followed by a pained scream from the officer as he felt his arm break, which in turn caused the energy blade surrounding his right arm to dissipate. "That move's going to cost you."

Smacking the warrior's leg away with his free hand while still holding onto Salza's now broken forearm, Turles then proceeded to lay into the man with repeated blows from his fist. Dull thuds and crunches echoed across the sky as the rogue drove his knuckles into the hapless blonde's body, smashing him in the stomach a few times and causing him to spit up blood. Upon delivering a total of twelve blows to the smaller warrior's frame, Turles then decided to finish him by swinging him over and then tossing him towards the ground below.

Watching the man plummet from the air, the Saiyan then swung his other arm forward, opened his hand, and- with a grunt of effort- unleashed a rain of bright pink energy blasts from his palm. The cluster of small ki attacks erupted from his limb and rained down on Salza from multiple directions, homing in on his falling body and striking him. The man gave out a cry of terror as the hail of blasts pushed him out of the sky and towards the floor at speed, the volley of continuous attacks stacking on the damage before effectively driving him into the planet's surface. Multiple explosions then went up as the remaining blasts bombarded the landscape, leaving a thick cloud of dust hanging in the air.

Lowering his arm and spitting in disgust, Turles shook his head. "Lucky shot. But that won't happen again." Upon seeing the cloud of smoke lift and spotting Salza's unconscious body lying at the bottom of multiple craters- his armor smashed up and spandex incinerated in multiple places, the Saiyan pirate promptly turned his attention elsewhere.

Down on the ground where she had fallen, Myra was struggling to get back up again. Bleeding from multiple wounds and cuts- particularly one over her right eye- the orange-haired tomboy fighter growled as she attempted to claw her way across the roots. Upon rolling onto her back to sit up, the adolescent suddenly gave a loud yelp when a foot slammed into her back stomach and pushed her down, whereupon she found herself staring up at the smirking for of Turles.

The man chuckled as he looked down at the heavily breathing girl. "Did you think I would forget about what you did to me back there? Smashing my head in while your little, Saiyan friend had me pinned to the floor."

Myra, clenching her teeth as her hands grabbed the man's ankle, glared up at the pirate. "I never… ngh… even considered the idea." She then mustered a smirk. "And for the record… I'd gladly do it again…"

Turles clicked his tongue and shook his head. "A feisty one, aren't you. Good. Because this'll be no fun if you don't put up some sort of a fight." He then leaned forward and rested an arm over his knee, at the same time giving the struggling teenager a menacing glare- like a wolf glaring down a trapped, little lamb. "Tell me… has that runt had you yet?"

This next question caught Myra slightly off guard, as the girl looked up at the pirate with wide eyes. "W-What?"

"I'm asking if the boy had his first time with you. Seeing as how members of our race mature at a far greater rate than most other alien species in order to propagate and survive on hostile worlds, Saiyans are able to mate at much younger ages than normal," Turles explained, at the same time glancing the girl over as he kept his foot firmly in place. He then licked his lips when he saw the Hera's full, ample chest heave against his boot. "Looking at you, I'd be surprised if he or any of those other boys on your crew haven't had their way with you yet."

Myra snarled as the fingers of her right hand tightened around the man's ankle, while her left fist punched the back of his heel to no avail. "Quit screwing around, sicko! You think that just because… ngh… you beat the five of us… grr… with the help of some magical apple… means that you can take this universe from Lord Cooler?" She then shot the man a bloody grin of amusement. "If that's the case, then you're… even dumber than you look."

"Ha. Still got a nasty set of teeth on you, I see," Turles chuckled as he set a hand on his hips and shrugged. "If I were you, I'd try not to get on my bad side. After seeing what I did to your friends after only taking one bite from the fruit of the _Tree of Might_, you should probably have a good idea of what two… three… or even a whole grove can do for me. As long as I have this tree and its fruit… I will be unstoppable. No one in this universe will be able to challenge me."

Hearing this, Myra then cocked an eyebrow. "So… that fruit you got… came from inside _that_ tree?"

Turles chuckled, "I think that's already been clearly established. Yes."

"Okay. Good to know," Myra replied, before casually raising her hand and pointing it straight at the Saiyan's face.

Just when the rogue thought the girl was going to shoot at him, he suddenly saw the Hera move her hand at the last second, before firing off a bright red blast from her palm. Feeling the attack shoot past his shoulder, the bandit leader looked around in alarm to see the ball of energy rocket up through the sky, arc inside the massive cave system of the _Tree of Might_, before detonating with incredible force. From every single cave entrance circling the tree's main trunks, a colossal, bright plume of fire erupted outwards, sending woods, twigs and splinters flying everywhere, before smoke and embers started to gush into the sky.

The sight of the entire tree's interior being set alight caused Turles to gape in shock, as he knew that it was in that part of the tree where the fruits were being grown. With the explosion practically incinerating everything inside, including his ship, the Saiyan was soon left with the horrifying realization that both the fruits and the seeds needed to cultivate the tree were now gone.

Upon seeing the flames continue erupting from within the tree like a volcano, the mercenary leader bit his teeth together hard, before wheeling around and glaring down at Myra- who he saw was smirking up at her.

"Oops. I think my hand slipped," the Hera chuckled.

Veins popping up along his forehead as his rage boiled, Turles suddenly forced his foot further on top of the girl and proceeded to crush her ribs, causing her to cry out in pain before then leaning down and grabbing her by the throat. He then picked her up and brought her face right to his, at the same time throttling the adolescent and causing the girl to claw at his wrists. But despite her best efforts, the man's strength was still leagues above her own.

"You're going to pay for that, bitch," the now very furious rogue growled in a low voice- one dripping with malice and ill intent. Feeling the wide-eyed female gasp and strike his wrists repeatedly in an effort to get him to release her, the Saiyan tightened his grip, at the same time baring his teeth in a dark manner. "Since it's been a few weeks since my last woman, I'm going to use you until I'm fully satisfied. By the time I'm done, you'll be begging me for death." He then grinned in a sickly manner as he tightened his grip on the girl's throat, watching as her eyes stared back down at him in terror. "You belong to me now, girl."

As she stared back at the clearly enraged man's manic face and perverse grin, Myra felt her heart stop for a moment. That was until she suddenly saw a blip appear on her scouter, which caused her to blink in surprise before a grin once again formed on her lips. "I wouldn't… be so sure," the girl whispered in a strained, raspy voice.

Initially balking in confusion at her remark, Turles's cracked scouter suddenly beeped a warning arrow at him, prompting the warrior to release Myra's neck, straighten up, and wheel around in alarm. The moment his eyes trained across the landscape and towards the base of the half burning _Tree of Might_, he immediately became aware of a fierce wind blasting him in the face- with waves of dust being sent rippling across the region for over a mile in all directions.

From where the pirate stood, it looked as though a tornado was forming at the spot at the base of the tree, as a cloud of dust could be seen whirling in the eye of the gale. However, through the veils of debris and splinters tumbling through the twisting curls and waves of wind, both the Saiyan bandit and the downed Myra spotted the miraculously alive Gohan standing atop the crest of the tree root he'd landed on.

Wound in his chest healed, his body hunched over, and hair whipping violently in an upward direction from the wind tearing forth from his form, the child stood in the center of a miniature hurricane, which only seemed to grow larger and more intense as the seconds ticked by. Due to the sheer force of energy coming off of him, the kitsune children Kida, Rei and Riko had been forced to take cover behind the root he was standing on, and were now watching with stunned eyes as the youngest member of Cooler's elite squad staggered into view of their planet's attacker.

Moments upon making his revived presence known to the warriors on the battlefield, the invisible forces blasting off of the hybrid's body suddenly gained color and mass. First a dense, hot steam began gushing out of his skin to fill the air around him, which then transformed into a fierce, burning white aura. The field of energy kicked up around his body with such strength that it practically tore into the wooded platform beneath him and ripped a crater into it. A split second later however, as a red, radioactive glow began to pulse from Gohan's body, his white aura started expanding and fluctuating.

At the same time, the scouters on Turles and Myra's faces started going completely haywire, throwing up new numbers and warning lights that they'd never seen before. Both warriors gaped in astonishment when they saw the child's power skyrocketing, with the Saiyan pirate removing his foot from the female's torso to gape at the pillar of white fire billowing in the distance, and the boy standing at the heart of it.

"W-What the hell is going on?" Turles gasped, seeing the number of zeroes on his screen increasing at an alarming rate. "His battle power… it's… it's over two million!" Sweat breaking out on his face, the man then took a cautious step back when he saw the number go up even further. "A-And it's still fucking increasing! How?!"

Myra blinked when she saw Gohan's body lurch forward, his arms swaying in front of him as more and more energy began to pour from his body. "G-Gohan-kun?"

Upon swaying under the tempest of power now tearing from his tiny form, the demi-Saiyan then peered up from under the whipping masses of his black hair. When he did, he revealed to the startled Turles, Myra and the kitsune-seijin, a face twisted into one of fury and anger. The emotions strewn across his profile in that moment burned with such unbridled ire, it looked as though his skin was about to split right down the center. And through the heat gushing from his body and causing the air around him to tremble, the hybrid revealed his once charcoal eyes had disappeared- blending into the whites of his sclera.

The instant the child's glare landed upon Turles and his wounded best friend- Myra- lying beneath his foot, Gohan took in a deep gulp of air, before throwing back his head and letting out a mighty howl of anger. "HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH**!" His scream shook the land and pierced the sky above, before his cry of war was drowned out by the roar of his aura, which suddenly tripled in size and his muscles bulked up. _**"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"**_

The numbers on Turles's scouter screaming in the pirate's ear as the reading skyrocketed, the rogue Saiyan then blinked in alarm when he saw the screen glitch out several times. A split second later his unit eventually exploded against the side of his face.

Yelping when the glass shattered over his left eye, the spiky haired warrior then snapped his astonished gaze towards the boy. "W-What the fuck? No way!" His exclamation was a combination of both fright and disbelief.

There was reason for his incredulity. Before his scouter exploded, Turles swore the last number he saw jump up on screen was close to _**five million**_. But that couldn't be right.

It just couldn't.

Gohan's sudden and very startling power increase sent a concussive shockwave rippling across the entire countryside- fracturing the ground for a mile in every direction, obliterating a couple of nearby tree roots, and splintering several more. After the hot, white flames licking at his body shot into the sky in a pillar of energy that caused the canopy of the _Tree of Might_ to part violently under the force of his rage, Gohan- his body initially drawn back with his battle cry and black hair whipping about wildly above his head- then leant forward and vanished with a crack of wind.

Turles, jaw dropping when he saw the kid disappear into thin air, was unable to respond when Gohan suddenly reappeared directly in front of him, swung his leg back, and nailed him in the chest with a sharp kick. The blow hit with the force of a train and sent the rogue shooting across the landscape at breakneck speeds. The instant the sonic boom from his takeoff cracked the root where the pirate had been standing, the burning child flared his energy cloak and vanished with another whip-crack.

From Myra's point of view, she had no idea what'd happened. All she heard was a loud bang followed by Turles flying off into the distance, leaving her blinking in astonishment at the airspace that his body had previously been occupying.

As for the Saiyan, the man was unable to do anything as his ragdoll of a form was sent tumbling through the air over and over. His body literally bounced across hills and roots for over three miles, before he eventually managed to come to a grinding stop. With a quick burst of ki, the dazed Turles effectively halted his momentum- only to wheel about when he saw Gohan reappear directly alongside him, his aura blasting around him in a wild vortex. Before the adult could even raise any sort of defense, the demi-Saiyan drew back his arm, took aim, and slammed it across the pirate's face, knocking him back with such force that he was sent back flipping through several massive roots stretching out from the _Tree of Might_.

With the arcing bridges and pillars for over a mile exploding into clouds of splinters as the rogue warrior barreled through them like they weren't even there, Turles was unable to stop until he eventually slammed into a plateau- utterly annihilating it with his impact. As the slabs of rock and earth that made up the barren tor caved in on the hole formed by the Saiyan rogue, the dust and rubble was then blasted away when Turles powered up and shot into the sky. Trailing pink energy as his own aura flared around him, the Goku-doppelganger stopped at a high enough altitude over the landscape and glared in the direction his opponent had last been.

Eyes wide in panic and his teeth clenched angrily, the now even more noticeably damaged warrior stared ahead of him in alarm. "Fuck! What in the hell has gotten into him?! That brat should be beaten and broken! How the fuck is he still standing?!" Turles shouted, completely lost as to how the young Saiyan was not only still alive, but had managed to come back from the brink of death even stronger than ever.

And what the heck was up with his aggression? It was completely off the rails from what it was before.

Recoiling when he spotted the white bolt of his young opponent screaming across the landscape towards him- the force of the child's flight over the valleys causing the ground he passed over to cave in and detonate under the sheer amounts of power he was exuding- the Saiyan pirate swung his left arm overhead, and quickly produced a hot, ball of crackling flames around his palm. After the mass of burning energy rapidly increased in size and reached critical mass, Turles then threw his arm forward and pitched the sphere of flames towards his approaching target.

"TAKE THIS! _**SHINE SHOT!"**_ Turles bellowed, his attack giving off a sizzling roar as it left his hand in a wide arc.

His fireball struck the incoming Gohan like a comet- detonating with a thunderous blast. When the sky shook under the force of the explosion and the flash of orange fire incinerated everything in range of the massive blast, Turles thought for sure he'd managed to stop his opponent dead in his tracks. The cocky pirate then balked in horror when he saw the wall of flames in front of him part sharply, and the golden flames of his opponent come tearing out of it- as if the attack didn't faze him at all.

"WHAT?!" Turles shouted, swinging his arms up to defend himself, only to get smashed in the face by the boy appearing in front of him and nailing him with a crushing left hook.

Bell rung, the Saiyan pirate was knocked clear across the sky, until Gohan darted over him, locked his hands overhead, and drove a hammer blow into his chest. The attack slammed into his torso and sent the man straight into the planet's surface. When he disappeared underneath a plume of dust and debris, the child floated in place high above the land, reared back his head, before throwing it forward and unleashing a gargantuan, golden blast from his mouth. His attack shot into the cloud and the countryside, causing a blinding light to radiate from the impact point, which then branched out across the entire country in the form of multiple golden fractures in the tectonic plate.

The moment the planet's plate fractured, an explosion similar to a nuclear warhead going off detonated from the point where Gohan had fired his beam into the ground. When that explosion rocked the area and sent tidal shockwaves tearing across the hemisphere, not only did the conscious members of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_ and Kida's group have to duck and cover, but the _Tree of Might_ was literally bent over sideways from the monstrous gale that slammed into it.

Even from orbit, Shira and her crew stationed on the bridge of _The Comet_, could see the golden dome of the explosion practically swallow up an area the size of a large county.

When the flames and shaking eventually settled down and a gargantuan, black cloud of smoke was left hanging in the sky, down on the planet below, Turles could be seen pulling himself out of a pile of rubble at the edge of a lake of molten rock and earth. As the ground burned and simmered from the intense heat of the attack, the now thoroughly scorched and battered Saiyan gasped as he looked across the completely ravaged battlefield in front of him.

Bleeding from his hairline, nose and mouth, and his entire right arm, chest and torso exposed and seared from taking the brunt of that ridiculous explosion- as evident by the multiple black patches on his flesh- the panting Turles kept his right eye shut as he gaped at the molten field at his feet. Spotting the hundred meter wide fissure lying in the ground in the center of it, the walls of which were dripping rock- transformed into hot slurry- the man was lucky to have dodged that blast.

"This… This is all wrong," the pirate wheezed, another trickle of blood running out of his mouth before he coughed up more. He then struggled to his feet, swaying in the process, before eventually reaching up with his left arm and gripping his scorched right arm. "There's no way… that kid… should be _this_ strong. What the hell kind of Saiyan is he?"

Was he even a Saiyan at all?

Never in his life had the rogue ever encountered or heard of another member of his race that could not only dramatically increase their battle power over the course of an entire fight, but also miraculously survive and regenerate from wounds that would've killed an ordinary alien. The fact that he was even able to match him- let alone stand- after being so thoroughly outclassed and thrashed before, boggled the pirate something fierce. The gap in their strength had been so enormous you could've fit an entire planet between them, but for some unexplainable reason the kid was back on his feet, glowing gold, and completely going to town on him.

So how?

"This brat… he's no ordinary Saiyan," Turles snarled, unable to hide the pain racking his body as he stood there, trembling in place and clenching his shoulder. "He's some sort of freak. A _monster_."

"Look who's talking."

Eyes widening, Turles looked over his shoulder to see Gohan's form drop down from the clouds and touch down on the clearing across from him. Seeing the white flames still surrounding his body and tearing violently through the air, the Saiyan rogue then watched through beads of nervous sweat rolling down his face as the white in the child's eyes once again became filled with two irises.

The reappearance of his normal gaze, indicating the child had regained his senses, caused Gohan's glare to intensify as he shot daggers towards his stricken and frightened opponent. "You and your gang have attacked peaceful planets, slaughtered whole villages and cities, and tormented people who were too weak to even defend themselves. For you- stealing, robbing, and killing is more than just an act of survival. For you, it's nothing but a game… and that makes me sick." Saying this out loud had the boy's serious face become even angrier. "If you think _I'm_ a monster, then you're nothing more than a twisted, heartless beast, trying hard to be something he isn't."

Turles, shivering as his teeth bit hard against each other, shot the boy a foul look. "Insolent little brat. How dare you!" Reaching behind him and unfastening his tail, the Saiyan rogue pulled out the fruit he still had on him. Without a moment of pause or hesitation, he then opened his mouth wide, took a couple of big chomps out of its flesh, and swallowed- downing over half of the fruit with one gulp. Upon feeling the fruit pass through him and setting the remains of it behind him, his body bulked up violently, his injuries healed, and his aura exploded around him. Feeling his power skyrocketing and sending a blast of wind ripping across the countryside had the stationary Gohan frown, while the rogue adult in the half-ruined battle armor laughed. "Hahaha! So you like to talk trash, huh? Well what do you think of me now, huh, you little shit?! ARE YOU SCARED?!"

In response, all the angry Gohan could do was scoff. "Not one bit." Seeing Turles's grin vanish, the child clenched his fists as his anger started to climb once again. "You called my friends weak and pathetic… and looked down your nose at them. But the only pathetic one I see here, is _you_." He then narrowed his eyes and snarled. "You may be a warrior and a member of a strong, infamous alien race, yet the only way you can gain strength is by stealing it from others. Instead of earning it through hard work like everybody else, you rob entire worlds of their power and have it hand fed to you on a silver platter. There's nothing more pitiful than someone who has to eat their courage from a piece of fruit grown on a magical tree," Gohan growled, his anger rising to a new level as his aura suddenly flared up and howled around him.

However, as his power level increased, Turles watched as a rather unexpected and startling transformation took place. The pirate felt his eyes widen when he saw the boy's white aura suddenly change color and become gold, with the flames intensifying and whipping upwards fiercely. This evolution not only gave the hybrid's skin a yellowish hue and caused his muscles to bulk up, but also added a reddish tone to his wild, long black hair, which billowed upwards with the increased draft of his power.

The shockwave resulting from this power up was biblical- rupturing the floor at his feet and fracturing the ground for quite a distance. As loose debris and rock lying in the area started to levitate into the air under the boy's power, the child soon became surrounded by the red glow again inside of his aura, intensifying his energy's crimson shade.

"You think I'm scared of you, Turles? Gutless creep! You think I'm scared?!" Gohan then clenched his teeth, before yelling at the top of his lungs, _**"I'LL SHOW YOU HOW SCARED I AAAAAAAM!"**_

Before Turles could properly take his stance, he suddenly saw the ground explode in front of him as Gohan suddenly bolted forward in a blur. His golden aura roaring around him like the thrust from a rocket, the child screamed as he charged straight at the pirate, swung back his right fist, and threw a big haymaker at his opponent.

Unlike before, the rogue was prepared to catch it this time. However, the second the boy's fist slammed into his open palm and a colossal shockwave rang out between them, Turles felt every single bone in his left arm fracture all at once, before he himself was sent flying back like a missile. The warrior cried out as his body flew back across the smoldering valleys behind him- his pinkish aura dissipating as he tumbled and rolled through the air, completely out of control. When he eventually managed to recover part way across the lava-covered bed of land left behind in the wake of Gohan's mouth-energy wave, the pirate slowed his momentum, swung his good hand forward, and unleashed a torrent of pink energy blasts towards the boy.

The hybrid of course, upon crouching down on all fours on the ground following his impressive haymaker, zipped out of the way at blinding speeds so that the barrage of countless ki blasts launched from Turles's hand ended up hitting nothing. While the clearing he'd previously been standing on got devastated by the salvo, Gohan himself managed to dart around and slam into the stunned pirate from the side, smashing him towards the floor.

After Turles's body splashed through a pool of molten earth and kicked up a wave of magma, the fully powered-up and enraged Gohan dove right on after him, and slammed both of his feet into the adult's stomach. The monstrous blow plunged both warriors into the boiling hot pool and caused a depth charge-like splash that covered a range of over two hundred feet in all directions. It was almost like a volcano had just gone off.

When the wall of rock and melted earth cascaded back down to the floor, the pirate's body eventually came flying out of it and straight up into the sky.

Sporting newly made burns, with the entire top portion of his armor gone, the battered Turles gasped when he saw Gohan's form explode out of the rain of lava and rocket towards him at full speed. Retreating to a high enough altitude, the desperate Saiyan mercenary growled and quickly lobbed a ki blast at the hybrid, only to watch it bounce off the kid's face before the youngster shot forward and blitzed right through him. A loud _**crack**_ rang out as the rogue was sent into an upward spin, before he was hit again from the side, then again from the other, and then the other.

Soon, Turles was being hit from multiple directions by the golden mass that was his opponent, hitting him over and over like a ball in a pinball machine. A few seconds of being battered about the sky, the thoroughly bruised and beaten down mercenary was then sent blasting across the skies by a vicious hit to the back.

Pursuing his foe, Gohan caught up to him and nailed him again, smashing him in the face with a wild hook and sending him falling into the root-covered countryside far below. After bouncing off of a few of the wooden bridges standing outside of the molten crater a few clicks east of the tree, Turles performed a brisk backflip and touched down atop a large plateau- slamming his feet and one good hand into the floor to slow his body. Digging several trenches through the earth with his limbs, the heavily bleeding Turles took a deep breath before looking up through a swollen eye.

"Gragh! That does it, you son of a bitch!" Turles shouted, his left arm dangling at his side, useless and purple from the multiple bones broken all the way up to his shoulder. Reacting quickly, the warrior reached back with his right hand, grabbed what was left of the only fruit left in his possession, and swung it up to his mouth. "This time I'm coming at you with everything I've got!" Taking another massive bite, the man then crammed the entire fruit into his mouth, stuffing it in and swallowing the whole thing.

The moment he did, not only did his wounds immediately heal, his muscles also bulked up once more and receded, before his pink aura erupted around him. The density of his glow thickened as bolts of pink lightning also zapped around him, creating an electrical bio-field on top of his original aura. As his energy howled loudly, Turles also gave off a scream of his own, as his power level skyrocketed to heights no ordinary warrior had ever achieved before.

As soon as his energy stabilized, the infuriated man with veins pulsing on his temples looked down to see Gohan's golden form bolting towards him. When he saw the child with wild, reddish black hair appear before him with his fist drawn back, Turles smirked broadly before promptly crossing his arms. The moment he did, a thick, transparent pink energy shield formed directly in front of him, popping up just in time for the hybrid's fist to strike it.

When Gohan's fist collided with the barrier and Turles gave a shout, the pirate sent the glowing boy blasting backwards at breakneck speeds when the film detonated. After descending a couple of stories, the child halted his momentum with a sharp burst of ki, leaving the perturbed youngster glaring up at the Saiyan pirate.

Energy flaring, Turles then flew down at the child and nailed the kid with a hook, striking him in the guard and knocking him down even further. This was then followed up by the youngster blasting up towards him and locking fists with the adult. Thuds and shockwaves began reverberating off of the pair as they began exchanging flurries of blows- their punches and kicks crisscrossing each other in a blur of movement as their two respective auras clashed.

Traveling across the sky and exchanging hundreds of attacks, Gohan then decided to make a big move. Checking a heavy kick from the newly empowered warrior, he then sprang up at him with a right punch, only to have it caught by Turles's big hand. Arm trapped, the child then threw his other hand, but had that punch caught as well, leaving both warriors growling at each other as they attempted to force the other Saiyan back.

Pink electricity crackling around him in a storm, the now evenly matched Turles grinned and chuckled through his teeth. "Heh-heh. Is that all… you've got?!" the man chuckled, before swinging his right leg back and slamming it into the boy's gut. A loud crunch rang out from the low blow, before the Saiyan adult raised his fists over his head and dropped a blow down on top of Gohan, sending the child down several levels.

Quickly rolling into an upright position and pulling up, the hybrid glared up in time to knock away a barrage of ki blasts, before getting clipped in the left shoulder and knocked back- the attack piercing his skin, scorching him, and forcing the kid to back off.

Turles laughed when he spotted the confused look on the child's face glaring back up at him. "HAHAHA! THIS IS IT! _THIS_ IS THE POWER THE TREE OF MIGHT CAN GRANT!" the Saiyan cackled, at the same time holding out his arms as he glared down at the child. "I owe you a bit of thanks, brat! Because of all the wounds you've inflicted upon me, thanks to the Saiyan's natural ability to increase their strength after receiving critical, life-threatening damage, the power I've received from the fruit is even greater than it would've been had I been in top condition. All because of the Saiyan's _Zenkai_!"

Gohan, blinking a couple of times, then tilted his head. "Oh… so _that's_ what it's called? Zenkai?" the child asked, causing Turles to recoil slightly at his response, before the boy then put on a big smile. "Thanks for the info." Closing his eyes and exhaling a big, lungful of air, the youngster then concentrated for a few moments- allowing a brief, split second of silence to calm his thoughts and steady his heartrate. Then, after inhaling sharply following a moment of meditation, the child then let out an ear-splitting scream. "HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

His outcry echoed across the skies, before being drowned out by his aura exploding and expanding through the air, scorching it as steam also came spewing out of his body. His muscles tightened and quivered, his black hair whipped wildly above him, and the red, radioactive glow surrounding his body- which was indicative of his level of rage- increased in intensity.

Turles literally had to cover his face with his arm as he was knocked back by the force of the child's power up, which sent him skidding through the air under the hurricane force winds roaring from his body. During which time, the pirate watched in morbid disbelief as the searing hole the child had in his shoulder suddenly started to heal. First, the blackened patch faded. Then the muscle fibers under the flesh stitched back into place and enforced themselves. Moments later, the patch of skin over the area was speedily repaired, leaving no signs of a burn except for a light scar.

A split second later, a shockwave of force reverberated off of Gohan as he gave one, final surge of power, which exploded from him as his normal, bodily functions were effectively reignited. When his aura receded moments later and once again stabilized around him to a steady, yet fierce beat, the now fully-recharged and healed youngster shot a menacing grin towards the man floating high above him.

A relieved sigh left his lips. "Haaaah… there. I feel _much_ better now," Gohan snarled through his teeth, before then taking a new stance.

Turles, completely dumbfounded by what he'd just witnessed, then barked down at the child. "You…? What the fuck did you just do? _What the hell was that_?"

"Oh? That?" Gohan asked, before then giving the perplexed warrior a shrug. "I just forced my body to heal the hole you made in my shoulder. I was feeling a little sluggish back there. But after letting off some steam, I'm feeling a lot lighter now."

Obviously that last bit of information was him talking shit just to rile up his opponent- and from the look on the mercenary's face it appeared to have worked.

The rogue Saiyan clenched his teeth as his brain spun round in circles, trying to make sense of what the boy was saying to him. After a few seconds of thought, Turles eventually happened upon an answer. _"I can't believe it. This kid… he forcibly manipulated his energy in a way that he was able to hyper accelerate the reproduction of white blood cells and nitrogenous organic compounds in his body to speed up the healing process. He was able to fix the wound in his shoulder in an instant. That's fucking ridiculous!"_

Though it seemed completely and utterly crazy, the cold hard reality was this. Not only did the boy manage to shake off the hit to his shoulder, but he was able to draw on the glucose and naturally recurring enzymes in his body to regenerate all of the wounds he'd received and recover from the main infliction.

While it was true there have been Saiyans capable of abnormally fast regeneration and healing capabilities in the past, due mostly in part to their superior biology, those cases had never been _this_ extreme. Somehow this child had such a keen awareness of his body's natural makeup, physiology, and physical functions, that he was able to exploit all of its regenerative and adaptability traits with very little effort and seemingly no negative repercussions. It was almost like he had full control over every individual cell being pumped through his veins, as well as every nerve ending stretching from his head to his toes.

Turles racked his brain trying to come up with some kind of logical answer to this impossible conundrum. But no matter how deep he delved or how hard he looked, he was simply unable to come up with any, reasonable explanation… except one.

"_I've heard of prodigies existing amongst the elites. But none like this one. This kid… he's more than just a genius… he's a super elite… a super prodigy. A talent born only once in an entire race's lifetime."_ The Saiyan's eyes then widened when he saw the glare being shot at him from the child as his aura flared up once again, signaling an attack was imminent. _"Could it be…? Could this boy actually be… the legendary __**Super Saiyan**__? The apex Saiyan of myth? The fabled beast of our race said to appear once every thousand or so years?"_

Sure, the idea was from a children's fairy tale and completely farfetched- but there was literally no other way to explain everything that was happening right now. What Turles was looking at was a true, living embodiment of that fairy tale. The resurrection of an ancient, apex predator. The alpha warrior of their race. A true legend born into this universe.

And right now, this true legend was pissed beyond all measure.

"You're done," Gohan shouted, his body loading up as his power shot through the roof.

As Turles slowly recovered from the shocking realization of his opponent's identity, Gohan wasted no more time and charged towards the pirate at full speed. His launch left a sonic boom in his wake as he bolted towards the Saiyan adult at such speed that the man lost complete sight of him. Before the rogue could even react, the adult felt his bones shake and his entire body bend forward as a pair of feet buried squarely into his torso, causing a massive shockwave to rock the planet's atmosphere.

Spitting up blood as his eyeballs nearly popped out, Turles then felt his body go shooting across the countryside, trailing pink and gold energy. Not knowing where the hell he was going due to having all sense and air knocked out of his chest cavity, the Saiyan was unable to stop himself when, a few seconds later, his body punched straight through the base of the _Tree of Might_. A literal earth-shaking shockwave then warped the entire tree, as not only did a colossal explosion of wood and splinters occur on both sides of where Turles entered and exited the trunk, but the entire tree ended up getting split in two from his impact.

As the two halves of the enormous, burning fig separated and proceeded to collapse across the landscape, Turles's body came shooting out the other side- minus the rest of his once ruined Saiyan Battle Armor. Wearing only his boots, gauntlet and black spandex shorts, the spiky haired warrior, bleeding from the mouth, quickly threw his body forward and hit the brakes. Skidding across the sky, the pirate drew back both his hands overhead and promptly powered up.

"THAT'S IT! I DON'T CARE IF YOU ARE A SUPER SAIYAN OR SOME KIND OF SUPER DEMON! I'M PUTTING AN END TO _ALL OF THIS_!" the man screamed above the roar of his pink aura exploding around him. As a storm of pink lightning shot off of his evolved form and his field expanded outwards- scorching the air with its intensity- the man quickly gathered a mass of whitish pink ki above his palms, as he once again prepared to lay into his foe with a full power _**Calamity Blaster**_. "THIS BATTLE! YOUR FRIENDS! THIS PLANET! I'M WIPING EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM OUT WITH THIS _ONE_ ATTACK!"

As Kida and her friends got the hell out of the way of the collapsing tree as its canopy broke through the clouds and proceeded to crash over the horizon, with Myra also quickly recovering and moving to rescue Neiz from the path of its trunk, Gohan's golden form could be seen shooting across the landscape and through the middle of the split tree. Passing through the middle of it, the boy was able to make it in time to the other side to see the strobe of pink light of his opponent blazing on the other side, which told him the final attack was coming.

Eyes burning with rage and desperation, the airborne warrior panted several times through several cracked ribs before, with one final scream of finality, he thrust his hands forward and launched his attack. _**"DIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"**_ Turles screamed, his blast erupting from his hands and filling the entire sky in front of him, sending a pink comet of energy shooting towards the collapsing _Tree of Might_.

The light of his blast could be seen expanding across the entire horizon, the howl of its column deafening everything in range and blinding everything in sight. As the attack roared across the sky and parted the clouds, all Gohan saw was a wall of pinkish-white light thundering towards him, which had the youngster frown as he quickly focused his energy.

Put all of his power in front of him, the child's aura flared up as he collided headlong with the blast- his body smashing into it before plowing right through the tidal wave of energy as it practically swallowed him up. A split second later, just when it seemed like the attack was going to wipe Gohan from the face of the universe, Turles and the members of Cooler's Squadron all gaped in disbelief when they saw the biggest energy blast they'd ever seen get split down the center and shoot across the landscape in multiple, broken beams of light trailing off in separate directions.

Gohan meanwhile, his golden form burning as bright as a star, pushed through the blast without slowing down- and flew right towards its owner. Turles could only gape in disbelief as he watched the child dive through the torrential heart of his strongest attack, before eventually tackling him in the chest. The kid's impact with the Saiyan shook the sky as he knocked the pirate, leaving behind only a wall of smoke and a completely ruined, parasitic tree.

After the pair slammed into the ground a split second later, it saw Gohan pinning the warrior at the bottom of a massive, newly formed crater, with his knee in his chest and hands grabbing his head. With his aura still burning around him at full blast and the battered Turles lying beneath his tiny form, the demi-Saiyan child sneered at the man through a pair of angry, turquoise eyes, while the stricken pirate locked his hands around the kid's wrists and tried to pry them off of him. But try as he might, the mercenary no longer had the strength or power to do so.

All he could do was groan and cry out as Gohan's grip around his skull slowly, but surely tightened like a vice, causing the man's bones to creak as the pressure around his brain was steadily increased. When Turles felt the weight on his head increase again and the angry child increase the strength of his grip, the man then let out a cry of pain, as the surface of his protective plates began to crack in multiple places.

Eyes wide in horror as his mouth remained agape, Turles writhed under the wild boy's grip, who continued to snarl at him as his fingers dug into the flesh of his head and began to draw blood, which ran down the warrior's face.

Aura flaring once more as blasting the air, Gohan growled at the Saiyan as he attempted to rip his hands away, but failed. "You threatened my best friend! You were going to torture her, rape her… and kill her! But I'll make sure that never happens!" the child growled through his teeth, his eyes showing no hint of remorse as he tightened his hold on Turles's head and caused his skull to fracture again, blood beginning to run from the man's ears and eyes. "You're going to die here- on this planet, in this hole… and I'm going to watch it happen."

Fingers clawing helplessly at the child's monstrous grip, Turles cried and gasped out one last time, as darkness slowly started to creep over his bloodshot gaze. "W-Who… graahhh… the fuck… aaagh… are you?!"

The demi-Saiyan hero, clenching his jaw tightly, then gave the terrified Turles a murderous grin. In that moment, as his eyes turned feral and face twisted into that of a beast, the Saiyan rogue swore he was looking at the face of the devil. "I'm Gohan… and you're messing with the best, _bitch_." And then, with one last, decisive grunt, he ended it.

A loud _**squelch**_ echoed out as Turles's entire head ruptured and exploded between Gohan's hands, splattering across the bottom of the crater and forming a shallow pool above the body. The amount of blood that splashed across the ground made it look like someone had either blown up a paint bucket or smashed a watermelon with a sledge hammer. All the bits of brain and fluid that managed to splatter across the demi-Saiyan's face as a result began running down his forehead and cheeks like war paint, giving the child a much more menacing and unsettling appearance. Upon feeling the mass in his grip explode and watching Turles's hands drop lifelessly to the ground after his life force vanished into oblivion, the child knew right then and there that his work was done.

Standing up, the glowing child slowly stepped off of the Saiyan's dead body and began to walk out of the crater. But after a few paces, Gohan suddenly felt the strength in his legs give out and he collapsed to his knees. As the flames of his aura vanished, his muscles decreased in size, and sweaty hair flopped down over his face, the last conscious thought the child had as his turquoise eyes went back to black and then glazed over, was this.

"Man… I'm starving…" Swaying a couple of times, the youngster put on a stupid smile before then keeling forward and collapsing into the dirt, falling into a peaceful slumber.

Silence then rained over the barren wasteland.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Author's Note:** Okay. Before anyone starts screaming 'Super Saiyan God' or 'Kaioken' based on my descriptions, the form Gohan actually took in this chapter is the _**Pseudo Super Saiyan**_ form **Goku** used in his battle against **Lord Slug**, which is a form that involves the user tapping into his or her dormant Super Saiyan powers for a burst of strength. However, unlike Goku, due to his talent and being more in tune with his body, Gohan is able to use it naturally and control it.

Also, thanks to receiving a fruit from the _Tree of Might_ while on the brink of near death, Gohan's manually controlled Zenkai trigger has evolved, allowing him to perform self-regeneration- but only to small extents. He can't exactly regenerate to the same degree as Namekians at this stage, just holes.

His durability has gone up and so has his battle senses.

So, just to retouch on the current power levels and so people can just get a general idea of where things stand right now, before the arrival of Vegeta and Nappa on Earth:

**Cooler's Armored Squadron vs Turles (Round 1):**

Salza – 185,000

Myra – 182,000

Neiz – 182,000

Dore – 180,000

Gohan – 170,000

Gohan (during battle) – 198,000

Turles – 250,000

Turles – 125,000 (fatigued)

**Cooler's Armored Squadron vs Turles (Round 2):**

Turles (after one bite of Tree of Might fruit) – 2,200,000

Turles (after half of Tree of Might fruit) – 22,000,000

Turles (after eating remaining fruit) – 44,000,000

Gohan (after one bite of Tree of Might Fruit) – 2,000,000

Gohan (Enraged) – 4,500,000

Pseudo Super Saiyan Gohan (Base x20) – 40,000,000

Pseudo Super Saiyan Gohan (post Zenkai) – 50,000,000

Gohan (new base) - 2,500,000

**Frieza's Family:**

Frieza (First Form): 530,000

Frieza (Second Form): 1,000,000

Cooler (4th/True Form Suppressed): 3,900,000

King Cold (Second Form): 150,000,000


	14. Raider Saga - Gifts

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the delays with my updates. I've just been super busy these past couple weeks.

Just to let you guys know, for all my **Golden Age** and **Secret Series** fans out there, I'm currently working on a full-colored doujinshi of my Gohan/Zangya story- _**Fiery Lake**_. It's going to be a full colour comic of the chapter, which I am planning on putting on my paetreon, and I have posted sample pages on my deviantart account.

If you guys would like to read it and if you want to see more of my other 'adult' works, you can support my work through there. I plan on publishing more Gohan doujinshi in the future, which I will be working on between my posts here.

* * *

**Dragonball Z**

_**Alter Age**_

_Gifts_

(Sometime later)

Gohan had no idea how long he'd been asleep for. What he did know however was that upon waking up and finding himself staring at the bright, white ceiling above him that he was no longer on the surface of CP-179. Blinking when his vision finally cleared and the sounds of low humming filled his ears, the raven haired child slowly sat up.

Looking around in a perplexed manner, the demi-Saiyan hero quickly identified the room he was in as _The Comet's_ primary medical bay. The white ceiling, sterile walls, beds, and equipment lying around were all prime indicators that this was indeed one of the areas inside of his mobile headquarters and home- a place he easily recognized inside and out.

Shaking his head to clear himself of the drowsiness he felt, Gohan then sat up from the sheets covering him, only to feel something heavy weighing on his stomach. When he looked down the length of his head, he saw the familiar, blue, furry form of the fox girl Kida lying across his stomach from a chair, with her two friends lying in similar positions and dozing quietly at the foot of his bed. The sight of the peacefully sleeping kitsune-seijin bewildered the young Saiyan, leaving him sitting there in confusion for about a minute.

It was after a long few seconds of pause that a soft voice spoke up from nearby.

"They haven't left your side since we found you passed out at the bottom of the crater," the amused tone of a female remarked, drawing Gohan's gaze across the room. It was there he saw Myra standing right beside him. Wearing only her purple spandex singlet and bloomers, revealing her body was covered in multiple first aid patches and bandages, the alive and well Hera was positioned beside the boy's bed on his left, her arms crossed and a warm smile in play. "Honestly, it was a bit of a struggle carrying you up the ramp of the Comet with the three of them circling me the entire time. But they insisted on staying with you to make sure that I got you here in one piece."

Gohan, blinking a couple of times as his mind processed the vision of the person before him, then felt his face light up with joy. "Myra-oneechan."

"Hey, spiky," the Hera chirped back, stepping closer to the boy to stand directly beside him and his pillow. "Glad to see you're finally up. Are you feeling okay?"

"Y-Yeah. My head's a little sore and I'm super hungry… but aside from that, I'm feeling great." Gohan then looked his friend over, taking note of the various bandages wrapped around her stomach and arms, before then glancing back up to her face. "And you? How are you doing?"

"Hm. Honestly, I've been better," Myra responded tiredly, holding an arm out and flexing her wrist, only to wince when her bones creaked. She then reached down and gripped her throbbing ribs when they too sent a bolt of pain up her body. "That bastard did a real number on all of us down on that planet, especially after he ate that damn fruit and started kicking us around like pucks. Some of our injuries were so bad that Doctor Kiyo said that we were lucky to be alive."

It was at that point Gohan felt his stomach sink, as a worried look quickly came over him. "W-What about Dore and the others? Are… Are they-… did that creep Turles-…?"

Myra smiled and raised her hands calmly. "Relax, Gohan-kun. They're okay. Dore and Salza are in the healing capsules right now." She then gestured across the room, directing the demi-Saiyan's gaze towards the right and past his bed's curtains. When he got a closer look at the two large pods sitting against the wall with the computer monitor resting between them, he saw the forms of his captain and Beppa-seijin teammate floating in their spandex in the bubbling water. From the way they were bobbing about with their limbs twitching in the water, it was clear the healing fluids were working their magic. "Dore came out of that fight with a really bad skull fracture, cracked jaw, several broken ribs, and a ruptured spleen. But Captain Salza got it the worst. Multiple burns, lacerations, a broken arm, broken femur, and localized internal hemorrhaging in multiple spots around his center mass."

"Oh. Wow…" Gohan whispered, a bead of sweat trickling down his face when he heard the report.

"Don't worry though. The doc said they'll pull through. Since we have the latest healing units installed on the Comet, it should only take a couple more hours before they're fully recovered," Myra reassured, putting on a big smile as she turned back to her young teammate and friend to see him glance back up at her. "Neiz is up on the bridge with a few torn muscles and a missing tooth. Since his bones are so malleable he didn't get any damage to them, so out of the four of us he got off easy. Lucky bastard."

The child sighed and put on a small smile. "That's good."

After a moment of silence, in which the pair spent smiling at one another and looking over the three young fox girls huddled up on Gohan's bed- with Kida happily nuzzling the child's stomach and mumbling in her sleep- Myra then decided to speak.

Appearing completely calm, the adolescent looked down at her friend with a curious look on her face. "I still can't believe that you were able to defeat that Saiyan pirate all by yourself… and after he stabbed you through the chest with his hand. I thought for sure that you'd been killed."

"Oh? Uh. Y-Yeah… me too…" Gohan stuttered, appearing quite confused as he then reached up and scratched the back of his head. "After I fell out of the sky and landed at the bottom of the tree, even though I was close to blacking out and dying, I was able to hear and sense everything that was going on around me… including your fight with Turles." He then frowned as he looked up at the girl seriously, his fingers clenching around his bedsheet tightly as his anger climbed at what we remembered that man doing. "When I heard he was going to torture and dishonor you right there on the ground, I felt all of my blood rush through me. There was no way I was ever going to let that asshole lay his hands on you like that."

Hearing his hushed, angry words and the desire he had to protect her during that moment of the battle moved Myra quite a lot. Feeling her heart flutter and cheeks warm somewhat, the teen looked down momentarily to compose herself. After taking a deep breath as memories of that fight flashed through her, she then looked up and gave her friend a puzzled look. "Even though he almost did… you jumped in and saved me at the last second." She shook her head. "How? After what he did to you- tearing a hole through your body and destroying one of your lungs- you shouldn't have been able to move, let alone breathe."

Putting on a smile, Gohan then looked down at the three kitsune-seijin lying on his bed and snoring away. "Kida and her friends saved me. She gave me a piece of the fruit from the _Tree of Might_ when she, Rei and Riko stole them from their host. After I swallowed it, the energy healed me in an instant, and I was able to jump back into the fight even stronger than ever." He then glanced back up at his friend and comrade, and beamed. "If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have been able to rescue you in time… and neither of us would be here right now. We owe those three a lot for what they did."

Upon piecing all of this information together with what she already knew, Myra, upon finally receiving confirmation of the child's miraculous recovery during the fight, nodded in understanding. "Yeah. We sure do." She then leaned forward and rested a hand on her friend's head, ruffling his hair in gratitude. "But right now… the one that I owe the most out of this entire crew, is _you_, Gohan-kun. You rescued me from getting tortured and raped by that prick, and saved the entire quadrant. And what's more… you managed to do it all by yourself." She then giggled and gave him a wink. "I guess I was right to pick you up from that planet when I did, huh?"

Gohan, recalling the time where he'd first met Myra, flashed the woman his signature Son grin and nodded. "Yeah. Definitely."

Laughing at his cheerful smile and joyful answer, the young Hera then leaned forward and gave him a warm kiss on the cheek. The gesture had Gohan blink in confusion for a moment, but after feeling the girl pull away, he saw the warm shade of red in her cheeks and the loving gaze she was giving him. Upon seeing these, the child put on a cheerful look again, which was then followed by him speaking up again.

"I can't take all the credit for that battle though," Gohan said, setting his hands in his lap as he gazed up at his friend. "All five of us fought and worked together to defeat those pirates and stop them from taking over the galaxy. If it wasn't for our teamwork that Turles guy would've picked us off one-by-one right from the get-go."

Myra nodded in agreement. "I can't argue with that. If we hadn't practiced working on those drills and formations in the training room for the past few months, that creep would've torn us to pieces with his higher power level. Good thing we knew which attack plan to use."

Gohan then looked across at the healing pods. "We should let Salza know after he gets out of there. I bet he'll be really happy to hear about what we think of his battle tactics and that they actually paid off."

Glancing over at the same capsules, the orange-haired female chuckled. "We'll see. Though he might be a bit salty once the capsule is finished mending his wounds, I bet the four of us will be able to find some way to cheer him up again." She then looked down at the child and shot him a grin. "He did get his ass kicked by the boss, after all. Then again… all five of us kind of did."

This remark earned a cheerful laugh from Gohan. "Oh yeah. No kidding."

While the child snickered over the thought of how he and his entire team look in a snapshot with all of their injuries on full display, Myra couldn't help but spare a thought to her friend's performance. Upon looking down at him and seeing him check out the scars and bandages on his own body, the adolescent Hera tilted her head as a rather intriguing idea crossed her head.

"_A Saiyan prodigy with a continuously increasing battle power, bursts of rage, and hyper adaptability?" _the orange-haired tomboy thought. With these particular traits circling in her head, the girl found herself hitting on a name that she'd heard brought up in conversation several times in the past regarding the Saiyans. Needless to say, it was just about as fantastical as the giant tree that they'd helped to bring down many hours earlier. _"A Super Saiyan, huh?"_

It was quite a tantalizing idea and one that she wondered if she would be able to test out sometime in the future. After all, it wasn't every lifetime you got to fight side-by-side with a being of legend.

OOO

(That evening)

With the Comet remaining in orbit above _Cooler Planet 179_, the members of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_ were given ample enough time to rest and recuperate from their intense battle with the _Turles Crusher Corp_. Considering how powerful each of its members had been, as well as how strong their brute of a leader was, Gohan and his squad mates could say without a shadow of a doubt that this particular gang of thugs had been the strongest and most difficult group they'd dealt with in the past year. For the more seasoned members as well, this latest batch of adversaries had also been by far and away the hardiest clutch of mercenaries the squad had ever encountered since their team's inception under King Cold.

Considering how close the group had come to certain death, all of them were lucky to be alive. Shira and Neiz made that comment when they came down to check on how Gohan and the others were doing. When they found that he was finally awake following his twenty-four power nap, both of them made sure to give him his due praise and congratulations for saving the day.

Of course, the demi-Saiyan understandably didn't want to hog all the credit. When Kida, Rei and Riko finally woke up from their slumber, the three kitsune-seijin were understandably overjoyed to see the boy was finally awake. Almost as soon as all the questions as to how he was feeling had been asked, Gohan quickly thanked them for saving his life and- by extension- all of their lives. The children of course accepted his thanks, yet insisted that he take the credit for the win and settled with giving him hugs.

Myra, Shira and Neiz had a good laugh at Gohan's expense when they saw him get smothered by the three girls, as it was quite an adorable spectacle.

Anyway, once all of the mushy stuff had been pushed out of the way, the group proceeded to move about the ship so that they could wait for Salza and Dore to recover. Neiz and Gohan chose to occupy themselves in the bar area, playing chess involving hologram pieces and having food prepped for them by the chef, while Myra showed Kida and her two friends around the vessel.

The rest of the crew ran diagnostics on the ship as well, at the same time keeping a watchful eye on the planet and the system in case there were any more changes. The sight of the now destroyed _Tree of Might_ could be seen lying clearly across the country where it'd previously been standing- its trunk on fire and its two halves pointing in different directions. At the same time the grey clouds of the planet's sky continued to drift across the atmosphere, shielding much of the devastation brought to the world by both the invasive flora and the pirates that planted it.

When afternoon finally rolled around, both Salza and Dore emerged from the medical pods fully healed and reenergized. As soon as they slapped their purple spandex, boots and gloves back on- leaving their scouters and armor on their racks- the pair immediately had the rest of the squadron assemble on the bridge. Upon arriving there and meeting with the rest of the crew, they were given a quick update of everything that'd happened while they'd been out of commission.

Once all of the information on the ship and crew's status had been covered, the Captain made the executive decision to get into immediate contact with their Emperor- Lord Cooler- in order to give him the full report on their most recent assignment. As soon as the entire squad- along with the survivors Kida, Rei and Riko- had gathered around the main hologram table at the back of the Comet's bridge, the leader of the contingent ordered the Comms Officer Niyusu to patch them through to Cooler's capital ship.

With every single squad member accounted for, all of them immediately dropped to their knees and bowed as soon as Cooler's entire body appeared in the hologram. Kida and her friends did the same, with the children quietly standing back while Salza- upon rising to his feet with the rest of his crew- gave the mission's report in full, while allowing all of the other members to fill in the blanks of the events that'd taken place during the battle for the parts he wasn't conscious for.

It was Myra who inevitably put the final word in for Gohan, who she stated was the one to finish off the pirate leader, Turles.

As the group stood before the young emperor's gaze and watched with baited breath as their leader processed the information given to him, Cooler then gave an affirmative nod of understanding. _**"I see. So that's what happened out there?"**_ Upon sizing up the youngster and nodding further in a seemingly approving manner, the purple and white alien- with his hands positioned properly behind his back- glanced across at the three kitsune-seijin children that the group had rescued from the planet. At first appearing to glare at them, a rather solemn look suddenly came over the young lord as he placed a hand over his chest. _**"I'm truly sorry for the unfortunate series of events that took place on your planet. Your people were supposed to be under the protection and care of my empire… and yet my forces were unable to do anything to stop those pirate scum from attacking and wiping out your entire race."**_ He then lowered his head towards the trio of girls. _**"I offer you my deepest and sincerest apologies."**_

Initially freezing up at being put into the spotlight and having the most powerful individual in the quadrant bow his head to them, Kida, Rei and Riko hurriedly looked at each other, before the chief's daughter hastily straightened up and spoke. "I-It's okay, Lord Cooler. It wasn't your fault. My people… and your soldiers… they did their best to try and fend off the invaders. But they were simply too powerful for us." She then shook her head. "There was nothing any of them could've done."

Cooler, looking up from his lowered head position, then gave the girl a serious look. _**"Nevertheless, as head of the Empire and overseer of this quadrant, I will take full responsibility for allowing such a horrible blight to infect your home world."**_ Tail swishing behind him, the alien straightened his back before the children. _**"As compensation for your loss… and to show that I'm a fair and benevolent ruler… you can wish for anything you want from me, and I shall do everything in my power to grant it."**_

"Th-Thank you, sire," Kida stuttered with a bow. "That's very kind and generous of you."

Following his little moment of courtesy, the smiling Cooler then turned his attention back to Salza and his crew. _**"As for the rest of you… great work. Your successful crushing and purging of the pirate band on CP-179, has proven to me how capable and effective a unit the five of you are. You truly are the finest and most elite group of warriors on this side of the quadrant."**_ His compliment causing all five members of the squadron's chests to swell with pride and joy, the group then saw the white and purple alien then bring one hand around and hold it out. _**"Now that your assignment has been completed, your next orders are to return to my capital ship for debrief and rest. I also wish to personally meet with the children you rescued… as well as young Gohan."**_

Hearing that last bit had Myra and Neiz look at one another in surprise, with all four adult members of the group quickly glancing across at their youngest member. The sudden wave of attention caused the demi-Saiyan child to stiffen up on the spot, as he not only felt everyone look at him, but Cooler as well.

Once that it was said, the alien ruler then concluded his transmission with one last bit of information. _**"My ship is currently orbiting Star 136 on the edge of the Whirlpool Galaxy. I've recently been commissioned to wipe out several dead planets in that sector to create a new hyperspace lane and a station. And considering who my current client is, I'm overseeing the completion of this job personally. I expect all of you to join me within the week."**_

Salza smiled and bowed to his leader. "Understood, my lord. We'll be at your side before the eighth day's end."

With one final nod from Cooler, the hologram shut itself off, leaving the group standing around a now empty table. Following a brief moment of silence, Dore put on a big smile before stepping over to where Gohan was. As soon as he was behind his teammate, he raised a hand and clapped him on the shoulder in a small offer of congratulations.

The moment the child looked up at him, the green wrestler beamed. "Looks like you've earned the young lord's favor, little bro. Good on you."

Gohan blinked, "F-Favor?"

"He means that you've managed to impress Lord Cooler enough that you've earned yourself a personal, face-to-face meeting with him," Salza answered, turning around to face his youngest recruit before shooting him a small, yet sincere smile. He then nodded to the boy when he saw his curious eyes land on him. "It's not every day the young emperor requests a sit down with one of his soldiers… even his highest ranking ones. You should be honored."

With Gohan feeling a smile tug at his face as Dore gave him another pat on the back and Neiz came over to ruffle his hair, the child then looked to see Myra approach him and beamed at her. In response, the orange-haired female smiled back warmly.

"We're really proud of you, Gohan-kun. Great work," the Hera said, at the same time raising her fist and holding it out to him.

Feeling his chest swell, the Saiyan turned to his friend and returned her gesture- the pair bumping fists and then doing the 'explosion' action afterwards- complete with sound effects. After sharing a giggle with one another, they were then interrupted by Neiz speaking up beside his tiny companion.

"Well, then. I guess we should start getting underway," the brown-skinned Zalt said in his usual, boisterous tone, before then glancing between Myra and Gohan. "In the meantime, I think the two of you should go get yourselves cleaned and fixed up. An hour or so in the healing capsules should do the trick."

"Yeah. And after the runt gets patched up, I bet his power level is going to shoot up even more, on account of his Saiyan biology," Dore chuckled, before then setting his hands on his hips and glancing curiously down at his small teammate. "Since we're on the subject, I still can't figure out how the hell you managed to kick around that Turles guy after he gobbled down that whole fruit."

This statement had Neiz blink before crossing his arms. "Oh yeah. I've been wondering about that as well. Even after only taking a single bite out of it, the guy became so strong he was able to withstand our strongest attacks and wipe the floor with all of us in a matter of seconds. I figured after he gulped down the entire ball, he would've been able to tear the entire planet and every single one of us a new one. So how did you beat him?"

"It couldn't have just been your usual power helping you along," Salza remarked, moving closer and also giving the boy a suspicious look. "No. There had to be something more to it than that."

Before Gohan could speak, Myra quickly jumped in. "I think it was because of his dormant Super Saiyan powers." When she saw the trio look across at her in surprise, the Hera beamed before glancing down at her friend and comrade. "Yeah. My people have heard stories of the Super Saiyan legend before… but we always thought they were just a child's fairytale. A story made up to scare other alien races into fearing the Saiyans' legendary capabilities in battle. However, considering the kinds of things Gohan was able to accomplish back on that planet- shake off multiple fatal injuries, raise his battle power at will, change the color of his aura, and survive wounds that would've normally killed a person- I have every reason to suspect that our little teammate was beginning to tap into his ancient powers… albeit temporarily."

Dore blinked, "Really?" When he looked down at the boy and blinked at him a couple of times, the man then mumbled on his breath. "Wow. A _Super Saiyan_, huh."

Processing the words a little, Neiz couldn't help but chuckle. "Heh. When you say it out loud, it sounds like such a generic, uninspired name, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. I mean… why not go for something cooler? Like _Berserker State_? Or _Blaze Release_? Or _Fury Mode_? Or _God Form_? Those names sound way more awesome than just 'Super Saiyan'. Urgh," Dore commented, raising his fist and clenching it tightly, before then releasing it with a gasp. It was at that moment he got hit by an idea, which led to him snapping a finger and pointing down at Gohan. "Hey! I just thought of an awesome warrior name for you, kid."

"Huh? You did?" Gohan asked, his eyes snapping up to his towering mentor in surprise.

"Yeah! All four of us already have a couple of cool nicknames, codenames and epithets that we use when we go into battle and operate on the field. You need to have one too… and I think I just came up with the perfect one!"

"What? What is it?"

Dore paused for a moment, raising the tension dramatically as he struck a pose. Then, upon taking a deep breath and raising both hands in front of him, he then stretched out his hands while uttering the boy's new moniker. "_The Golden Demon_! Just like the color of your energy when you charge yourself up and go absolutely ape-shit on your enemies. Sounds pretty badass, don't you think?"

A few seconds passed in which Gohan spent standing there and allowing the name to float about in his head. After repeating it to himself a couple of times, the child then grinned and pumped his fists. "I love it!"

"HAHA! I knew you would!" Dore shouted, at the same time raising a hand and high-fiving the child when he jumped up to clap his palm. "It's official then! From this day forward, your codename will be- _Golden Demon_!"

"I think that's a pretty fitting title for a Saiyan prodigy like you," Salza spoke up, crossing his arms and watching his teammates gather around the excited boy and gab over his newly formed title. When he saw them look in his general direction, the man in the full-body purple spandex smirked. "The four of us should come up with official codenames later on as well. An entire squad utilizing titles centered on a certain theme can definitely increase our status and reputation in the quadrant." He then set his eyes on the boy again. "The feats that you pulled on that planet will also spread like wildfire, adding to your legend and place in Cooler-sama's empire."

Neiz chuckled and nudged the youngster in the back. "Yeah. And considering how strong you've become now, you've made it really hard for the rest of us to catch up. Compared to the strength that I assume you have now, we're just a couple of ants and cockroaches."

"Heh. Honestly, I feel kind of jealous," Myra giggled.

"Umm… ex-excuse me…"

Hearing the voice speak up quickly drew the group's attention towards the bridge's walkway. When the group spotted Kida and her friends, they saw the blue kitsune-seijin slowly walk up to them, with Riko right behind her. Stopping in front of the group of warriors, the blue girl asked for the brown bag her friend was carrying- reaching inside and then pulling out a studded red ball.

It took Gohan and the others a split second before they realized that what the girl was holding was a fruit of the _Tree of Might_.

"Whoa. Hold on a second," Dore blinked. "Aren't those…?"

Before the man could stutter out his response, the leader of the group of little fox girls nodded. "Rei, Riko and I wanted to offer you and your friends our sincerest and most heartfelt gratitude for saving us," Kida spoke, moving forward with the large, apple-sized fruit between her fingers as she held it in front of her- in a manner similar to a person holding onto a precious relic. "If the five of you hadn't come to our world when you did… m-my friends and I would've been found by those pirates and killed by them, just like our families. You rescued us, fought for us… and tried to save our world- even though everything was already long gone. You risked your lives for something so little, and so- to show you all how grateful we are- we would like to offer each of you one of the fruits from the tree that robbed our planet of its vitality and its inhabitants."

Kida, Rei and Riko then promptly went up to each member of Cooler's Armored Squadron and gave each of them a fruit, with Gohan also receiving one. When the four adults and one child found themselves staring down at the red, studded fruits, all of them were at a bit of a loss.

When the three kitsune-seijin stepped back to give them some space- their hands now empty save for the one brown bag over Riko's shoulder- Myra was the first to address their concerns.

"You're… giving these to us?" the Hera asked.

Rei nodded, "Yes. They are a gift."

The orange-haired girl then held out her hand, "Are you sure? I mean… these fruits… they were grown on _your_ planet-"

"…and from a tree that was responsible for destroying almost all of it," Gohan also answered, also looking very uncertain about accepting this present. "Your people lost their lives trying to stop the invading parasite and the pirates who planted it. It wouldn't be right of us to take these from you. Not after everything that has happened."

Dore also looked at the fruit questioningly while Salza weighed his in his hand with a noticeable grimace on his face. "I also don't think the five of us are too comfortable with eating the same, weird fruits that those scumbags used to give themselves a magical steroid shot." He then gave a grunt when he felt someone punch him in the side and looked across to see Myra glaring at him. "What? It's true. I mean, I'm all for bulking up and getting stronger and everything, but I'd rather work for that myself, rather than rely on something like a mystical apple, y'know?"

"I'm with Dore on this one. It would feel pretty weird eating something that was wrongfully taken from another planet," Neiz said, before then pointing to his. "Also, won't we go crazy consuming these things? Or grow a couple of extra limbs or something?"

Salza frowned as he rotated the fruit about. "From what I could tell, the only negative side effects given by this fruit was some unhealthy, purple miasma in the aura and a much tighter wardrobe. Whether this will further inflate our egos or give us random bouts of mania like that Turles guy had, is still up in the air at this point. Either way, I don't really trust them."

By this time, Myra, Gohan and Neiz had approached Kida and her friends, and were holding the fruits back out to them. "Thank you, but this gift is way too much for us," Myra said while holding the fruit to the leader of the children. "We can't possibly accept these… not after all you three have been through over the last few days."

Kida, looking at the fruit and back up to the squad members, beamed warmly. "It's okay. My friends and I are fine with giving you these fruits." Pausing for a moment when she saw the trio in front of her balk, the blue kitsune smiled. "As the last surviving members of our families and our tribe, the three of us have taken on the burdens and responsibilities of our world. This includes the future of our race." She then raised a hand and placed it against her chest. "My people cared deeply for our planet, its forests, its rivers, and its animals. Everything that we ever had in our lives, came from its soil and its waters. By giving you these fruits, we're not only hoping that your group will carry on the strength and spirit of our people, but the power to make sure no other planets fall victim to the same tragedy ever again." She then beamed warmly at the group. "I believe it's what my race would've wanted… and it's what the planet would want to. So those fruits are gifts to do with as you wish."

Blinking at the girl's reasoning in a clear sense of surprise, the members of the squadron then looked about at one another. At first appearing uncertain and shocked, the group then turned their attention back to the fruits they'd been given. After due consideration, Gohan then moved forward and smiled across at the kitsune-seijin, whom he saw had their big eyes fixated upon him.

"If you really feel that strongly about giving these to us, then we will gladly accept them. But I wouldn't feel right taking this entire fruit all for myself. So how about we do this?" Gohan said, before then putting on a smile. "Instead of eating the whole thing, since you were the ones who gave them to us, I would really like to share it with the three of you. Split the treasure, as it were."

With it now being their turn to appear surprised, Kida, Riko and Rei all looked at the demi-Saiyan with mixtures of astonishment and amazement. Upon quickly glancing around at one another, the trio then shared smiles before looking back at the boy with expressions of warmth and delight. Clearly they were moved by his offer, which in turn compelled them to respond in kind.

"That's perfectly fine with me," Rei said.

"Yeah. Me too," Riko nodded happily, before then blushing lightly under the boy's gaze when he glanced across at her. "I… I would be honored to sh-share it with you."

"As would I," Kida quickly followed up.

Gohan beamed, before then handing the fruit over to Kida and watching the girl weigh it between her hands. Following a quick moment of pause, the girl then took a big bite out of the fruit, chewed it, and handed it over to her friend Rei. From that point on, the four children passed the lone fruit between each other, with every mouthful they swallowed immediately sending a rush of hot energy coursing through them, which fired up their senses and caused their bodies to momentarily grow. While Kida and Rei marveled at the few millimeters of height they suddenly gained and Riko went about consuming her share, the trio was closely watched by the other four members of the Armored Squadron, as well as the crew gathered on the bridge.

Noticing that Gohan was letting the girls take big bites out of the fruit, while he himself was only taking smaller ones, Salza looked down at his ball of physical energy before taking a tentative bite from it as well. The other three followed suit, with Myra and Neiz expressing the same amount of care and caution as their captain, while Dore quietly made his way over to where Shira was standing. Stopping beside the equally tall, red-haired pilot positioned beside the helm of their craft, the wrestler took a big bite from his fruit, chewed it, and then held it out to her.

"Here. Have some. It honestly doesn't taste that bad," Dore said through a mouthful of juice and flesh.

Blinking at the man's unexpected offering, the female lieutenant of the vessel then cracked a smile of her own and eagerly took the fruit from her colleague. Rolling it around between her fingers, she then shot the Beppa-seijin an amused look. "Is this some kind of peace offering for all those times I kicked your ass at chess?"

The big man with the wild, black hair chuckled as he continued to chew. "Yeah. You could say that."

Giggling at the cheesy grin the man gave her, Shira wasted no time in taking a couple of big bites- not even showing the slightest bit of hesitation of eating from the spot where Dore had.

Seeing that their friends were sharing the fruits with one another, Myra, Salza and Neiz figured they'd do the same thing, with Neiz ripping a third of his fruit's flesh out and handing that chunk over to Niyusu, who was watching the group from down in the crew pit. Salza also gave a sizable chunk to his fellow crewmate Deita watching in the background, who found the taste of the fruit to be quite interesting.

After Myra took another bite from the _Tree of Might_ fruit she was holding, the girl walked over to Gohan and decided to share some more of it with him and the girls. The cosmic apples were quite big after all, so there was plenty of them to go around.

When the rest of the crew scattered throughout the ship were called up to the bridge by Salza, every single person on board was able to partake in the generous bounty gifted to them by the kitsune children. Though not every single crew member got an equal chunk of the treasure, once all of the fruits had been consumed- with even the cores being eaten- all of the members of Cooler's elite commando unit and the staff of the _Comet_ immediately noticed the dramatic changes made to their bodies.

Though most of these alterations were minor and didn't amount to anything on their own, when they were stacked together in such close proximity of their comrades, the metamorphosis of each subsequent individual was made much more obvious.

Despite having eaten the fruits at a slow and generous pace, Salza, Dore, Neiz and Myra could feel how much they'd grown and evolved in the span of only a few minutes. While the captain of the team felt he'd stretched a couple more centimeters upwards, his muscles had also strengthened and become more defined than before. The same could be said for Neiz and Myra, the former of whom was looking across at his female counterpart to see her athletic frame had become much more toned, giving her a wilder, more Amazonian appearance. It seemed to strengthen her feminine appeal as well by adding onto her style and maturity, giving her a bit more of an aesthetic glow.

Dore of course was feeling quite overwhelmed by what he was able to notice- the Beppa-seijin patting down his chest and stomach, both of which he had framed clearly against his purple spandex singlet. Pulling on the elastic, the green warrior then released it and felt the fabric snap back against his tight shoulders.

"Damn. Does anyone else feel like they've taken on a couple of extra inches?" the man asked in an astonished voice, noticing the rest of their crew checking themselves out in whatever reflective surfaces they could find. "I feel like my legs and feet are pushing me up towards the ceiling."

"I'll say," Salza replied, inspecting his arms to see they'd gotten a bit thicker than before. He then lifted his hand and began moving it up and down, measuring the distance between his chin and the floor. "Though I hate to admit this, but the effects of these fruits were a lot more potent than I was expecting. It's incredible." A smile then broke out on his once apprehensive face. "Heh. And here I thought that I wouldn't be able to get any taller than I already was. But look at me now."

Looking the blonde officer over from where he was standing, Neiz then cracked a somewhat cheeky grin and directed it at his superior. "You're still pretty short though, captain. I mean… you may have gotten a bit taller than before… but not that much taller."

Frowning deeply, Salza shot a glare back at the amphibian. "You know, not everyone can be as freakishly blessed and lofty as you are, Neiz."

The commander's response caused a listening Dore, Neiz and Myra to laugh between themselves, especially at the irked look that came over their friend's mug. This was then followed shortly by the wrestler turning towards his female compatriot and glancing her over, upon which he then gave an impressed whistle. "Woo. You know what… on top of a few inches, I think that fruit may have given you some extra curves in places, Myra."

Running a hand down her taut side and then her back, the Hera then rested her knuckles over her buttocks and nodded in an approving manner. "Hm. You know, you might be right there." Upon checking herself out and pulling at the collar above her breasts- the pair of which had also become a lot more full and firm, and prompting her to whisper a very apt 'nice'- she then nodded over to where Gohan and his newfound friends were gathered. "But if you think I've changed a lot, check out how much spiky and the girls have grown."

When Salza and the others looked over at the demi-Saiyan and the kitsune, all of the adult males got one heck of a surprise when they saw how much the hero of the day and the girls next to him had advanced. Not only had the hybrid grown a couple more centimeters since a few minutes ago, but judging from his newly acquired build and appearance, it looked as though he'd also aged a year or two. The mane of wild, black hair he had sitting atop his head and hanging over his shoulders, had lengthened and fanned out, his physique had also become more defined, and he looked a heck of a lot stronger than before as well. This much became noted when the scouters on the hologram terminal nearby began to go absolutely crazy, as each of the massive power levels on board the ship began breaking all kinds of records.

Yesterday, Gohan had only been about as tall as Dore's knee. Now, after eating the fruit given to him by the girls he had saved, the youngster had suddenly reached all the way up to the man's hip- so it was safe to say his transformation had been the most drastic of the crew's.

The fox girls standing beside him also looked like they'd aged an extra year over the span of the past minute- their tails having become bushier, and their builds more shapely than before. From the surprised looks on their faces, it was clear that Kida and her companions had not been expecting their bodies to shoot up the way they had, nor had they been expecting to become so much lighter and more energized. Even though they were still kids and in the early stages of their youths, you could not deny that their body clocks had moved forward several cycles.

Neiz whistled when he saw Gohan look at them. "Dang. It's almost like looking into the future."

"No shit," Dore chuckled, at the same time giving the boy a thumbs-up. "Everything good over there, little bro?"

In response, the hybrid turned to the Beppa-seijin and grinned. "Hell yeah."

Needless to say, the adults were quite impressed with what the fruits had been able to do to all of them.

While the rest of the Comet's crew continued to marvel at their respective conversions- with Shira casually looking at her nails while standing at the front of the ship- Deita, who was standing beside the hologram, did a quick scan of the numbers that'd jumped up. Hearing the beeping and buzzing of the computer quickly drew the group's attention towards the blue alien of Burter's race, where they quickly saw the man balk before glancing across at his superiors.

"Holy crap… this is… _unbelievable_," the petty officer exclaimed while looking between each of Cooler's elite, before then shaking his head. "Shira and the rest of the crew's battle powers have jumped into the hundreds of thousands. But each of _your_ battle powers… you four are each sitting at twenty million, five hundred thousand or more."

Neiz's jaw immediately dropped. "Wait… are you serious?"

A nod from Deita was his response. "Y-Yes. I've run the scan three times. There's no mistaking it."

Looking down at his gloved hands, Dore grinned broadly before laughing. "Hahaha! Awesome! This is great!" He then brought his fists up and flexed his biceps, feeling his entire body swell as all of the muscles in his chest, torso and arms tightened at once. "Oooh! Yeah! Man, if I'm this strong now, then that means I should be able to lift, like… twice as many weights as before! Maybe even four times as many! In five hundred times gravity!"

Myra, shaking her head at her posing friend as he did another pose, placed a hand on her newly broadened hip and thin waist. "Is that all you can think about after all of this? How much weight you can bench press in the training room?" When she saw the green man laugh and strike a different pose that caused his back muscles to swell, the Hera realized he was straight up ignoring her and chuckled. "Guess that answers my question."

Before the squad could get too caught up in their excitement, Gohan- upon testing his fists by clenching them and unclenching them- then turned to his friends and smiled at them.

"So… do you think we should get going? Or what?" he asked.

When Salza and the other boys heard him, the captain and the rest nodded in agreement. However, before any of them could give out any instructions, Niyusu, the little red Brench-seijin girl and radio operator who had come out of the crew pit to talk with Shira, then noticed something happening outside the bridge's window. Stepping up to the wide glass, the white-haired soldier felt her eyes widen before she then spoke up.

"Hey. S-Sirs. Come take a look at this. Something is happening to the planet."

Hearing the girl beckon them over prompted the elite squad and the rest of the people on the deck to approach the front window. When the entire crew of the comet assembled before the window, every single one of them felt a sense of shock and awe flood through them when, down on the devastated remains of CP-179, they saw the massive, burning halves of the massive _Tree of Might_ suddenly disappear.

The fires flickering across its trunk engulfing it spreading in an instant, Gohan, Myra, Kida and their friends then watched in stunned silence as it evaporated into golden dust. The same thing happened to all of the roots protruding out of the ground across the entire continent, as the whole edifice was almost immediately transformed into cosmic dust. The glittering, golden clouds then flooded the murky atmosphere, clearing the skies as the specks of energy that the tree became cascaded back down to the floor. Then, in a matter of minutes, both _Cooler's Armored Squadron_ and the rest of the Comet's crew saw the landscape begin to change.

Once barren wastelands and deserts quickly became overgrown by large, sweeping patches of vegetation. At first it started off as small dots of green appearing all across the planet's surface, along with small ponds of clear, blue water. But all of that soon changed when all of these same patches and specks expanded and grew. Spreading faster than wildfire, forests and lakes began reappearing and manifesting all across the initially ruined, famine-ridden planet. The death and decay that once gripped the ball of rock became covered up and was effectively rid, as in a matter of moments the life that was once taken from its soil was promptly returned to it- and then some.

Before the clock even came around to the ten minute mark, the planet had magically been restored to its original, natural state. As the oceans soon returned to their rightful places in the enormous canyons left behind by the giant tree, the soldiers of Cooler's army watching from the ship couldn't help but feel their chests swell and hearts warm at the sight.

Salza, being the most practical man in the group, simply shook his head in disbelief at what he was now witnessing. "How… is this possible?"

Pondering on the question of reality for a moment, Myra then felt a smile tug at her lips as she quickly reached a conclusion. "I think that whatever residual energy was left in the _Tree of Might_ was returned to the planet after it was destroyed. That must be why this is all happening." It really was the only possible explanation.

After watching with his jaw open for another minute as he saw a stretch of blue water once again cover the eastern side of the planet, the inquisitive and sharp-minded Gohan then turned to Kida and her friends, who he could see were standing right next to him with their hands against the glass. Upon quickly glancing between them, the child then spoke, "Did you guys have something to do with this?"

Glancing across at the boy, the blue kitsune girl and daughter of the chief smiled warmly. "You could say that." Noticing Neiz and Myra look across at her as a result, the little fox girl shrugged. "We only kept some of the fruits we took from the tree- the same ones that we gave to all of you. The others we crushed and buried in the ground before we were picked up by your friends. We thought that by doing that, we would be able to return some of the life that was taken from our home."

Her friend Rei, her white tail wagging happily, then looked back through the window and smiled. "And it looks like it worked."

Dore, hearing this from where he was standing, looked across at their captain. "So… does that mean…?"

Smiling as well, Salza nodded and crossed his arms. "_Mission Accomplished_."

The sound of that statement put happy grins on the faces of all of his subordinates, most notably Myra, Gohan, and the kitsune-seijin they'd saved. After all, their success here had been nothing short of a miracle. A miracle now manifesting itself in the picturesque view now floating before them.

It wouldn't be until sometime later before the crew of the Comet finally decided to fire up the ship and head off to rendezvous with Cooler's capital vessel. But before that, all the men and women assembled on the bridge decided to remain where they were for a little while longer, floating in orbit of CP-179, and watching as the results of their victory took hold of the planet.

Needless to say, it'd been one hell of an assignment.

XXX

(A few weeks later)

(Back on Earth)

On this particular weekend stretch, the fighting forces of the Z-fighters training up on _Kami's Lookout_ had decided to take a long, much needed rest day to work off the stress and pains built up over their past month of hard training. Having worked themselves to the bone the day before, to the point that some of them had collapsed from exhaustion, the group of earthling heroes had wisely chosen to take a day off to rest, relax, and gather their thoughts. And in typical fashion, each and every one of them were occupying themselves in a variety of different ways, as expected of their characters.

While Kami was wandering about the flower gardens and Mr. Popo was in the process of watering them, between the rows of soil and palm trees, the cape and turban-wearing form of Piccolo could be seen floating in place and in deep meditation. Directly alongside him floated both Tien and Chiaotzu, both of whom had decided to join the green demon in his session to calm their thoughts, as well as get used to the man's presence. After all, seeing as how he was acting less hostile towards them nowadays, they really wanted to put in the extra effort to spend more time with him and get a feel for what kind of person he was. They were going to be fighting alongside him in the upcoming battle, so there was understandably a lot of sizing up to do.

So far Tien was having few problems with hanging out with the Namekian. Sure, the guy still acted grumpy at times, but that seemed to have been dialed back over recent days.

Then there was Yamcha, Krillin and Yajirobi- the three men having resigned themselves to the front steps of the palace to chill and talk over a game of cards. So far, judging from the pile of food they were gambling with, it was clear that the most portly member of the trio was raking up the most winnings, some of which he was already in the process of eating. This irked the other two somewhat, as the man was surprisingly good at bluffing them.

And then there was finally Raditz and Launch, both of whom were sitting on another part of the floating platform in their respective training outfits and were talking. Not only that, but the blonde gunslinger had thought it would be a lot of fun to crack out one of the small, handheld mechanical puzzles she often carried around with her to see if the Saiyan could solve it. This consisted of a set of metal wires that the woman had fastened out of grenade pins and rifle rings. So far the man was doing pretty well trying to solve it without breaking the links.

However, after managing to remove one of the rings from their catches, the warrior's expression twisted into one of confusion as he began rolling the set around to see how to undo the next one. Lifting it above him and squinting at it, a now frustrated Raditz began inspecting the device in a manner similar to a curious little monkey, which in turn caused an observing Launch to snicker at the faces and actions he pulled.

"Ooh. Looks like you wedged yourself into a corner there," the blonde remarked in an amused tone. "Need some help?"

"No, no, no. I got it. I got it," Raditz replied hastily as he brought the rings back down and pinched one of them between his large fingers. "It's… this one." He then proceeded to try and remove it from its host, sticking his tongue out in a playful show of concentration, as he did his best not to break the rings in his effort to untangle them. When he heard a giggle from right next to him, the man in the spandex hot pants and his newly modified chest armor looked across at Launch and blinked. "What?"

The blonde female grinned at him while her cheeks shone with a reddish hue. "You know… I always figured you to be a stern, gruff, tough guy, who only ever had training and fighting on his mind. But seeing this side of you is pretty neat too."

Blinking at Launch's remarks while also staring back at her smiling, tomboyish face, Raditz felt his stomach clench a little as a wash of heat reached his own cheeks. Clearing his throat, the man looked away with a pout. "I don't act like a hard ass all the time, y'know," the Saiyan warrior grumbled under his breath.

The gunslinger chuckled while leaning forward with her hands in her lap. "I know. But that's okay. I actually like that side about you… and this one too. It makes you more interesting." When she saw Raditz glance across at her in surprise, the blonde quickly realized what she'd said and recoiled in alarm, her face turning redder as she promptly looked away. "I… I mean… even though you act tough and cute- gah… I mean… after spending so much time around you and getting to know you… well… I think that… uhh… gah! Forget it! Just forget I said anything!" Waving her hands in front of her, the long haired woman promptly looked away and frowned deeply- clearly expressing a great deal of embarrassment at the words she'd let slip.

Upon processing the girl's words and seeing her flustered response, Raditz couldn't help but smile as he slowly turned his attention back to the rings he was holding. "Alright. If that's what you want, I'll try to keep it out of my mind. But no promises though." Sensing the woman look across at him again but pretending not to notice, the long-haired fighter went back to trying to resolve the puzzle between his fingers. Skillfully managing to use his bulky fingers to dislodge one of the aforementioned bands, he eventually managed to remove it from the center clip and grinned when he succeeded in doing so. "Haha! I got it! See!"

When the Saiyan showed Launch what he'd been able to accomplish, the woman was about to congratulate him. But before either of them could do so, a loud roar from below was followed by a large, white object suddenly flying up, past the ledge they were sitting near. The blast of wind and heat nearly knocked both the Saiyan and the woman over out of surprise, with Raditz managing to shield the blonde from the dust that hit them in the face.

Looking up to see what'd shot past them, the pair watched as a large, white, Capsule Corp jet car performed an aerial loop overhead, before eventually leveling out and slowly descending towards the floating platform. The rumbling of its engines and the gales of wind it sent rippling across Kami's Lookout immediately caught the attention of the Z-fighters scattered across its surface, with Kami and Mr. Popo heading over to investigate the new arrivals.

Watching as the jet touched down behind them, Raditz and Launch stood up. Whereupon the pair then ventured around to link up with Kami and Mr. Popo to see who it was that'd suddenly dropped in to visit. Though they could see exactly who it was, given the fact that the canopy of the aircraft was tinted, judging from the markings the group had a good idea as to who it could be.

By the time Krillin and Yamcha came over, the jet's engines had promptly been shut off, filling the air with the dull hum of its fading instruments. Before the drone fully dissipated, a loud hiss was followed up by the side hatch of the forward pod opening. When the pilot of the craft eventually jumped out, the entire group was caught by surprise at who they saw.

Dressed in the exact same qi pao ensemble she'd worn to the most recent _World Martial Arts Tournament _years ago- consisting of a sleeveless, blue martial arts robe with red trim, pants, wrist bands, and taichi shoes, and her long black hair tied back into an elegant ponytail as opposed to her trademark bun- Krillin, Yamcha and Launch found themselves face-to-face with the familiar form of the Ox King's daughter, Chi-Chi.

Appearing even younger than before, due to her change in style and wardrobe, the princess-slash-mother of the Son family shut the door of the jet car behind her and glanced around the vicinity. When her eyes landed on the faces of her husband's friends gaping back at her, the woman's calm expression then steeled as she marched forward.

Blinking away his shock, Krillin stepped forward. "H-Hey there, Chi-Chi."

"Wow. We weren't expecting you to show up here," Yamcha followed up, wrapping his fingers around his gi belt as he watched the young woman march up to them and stop a few paces away. "How have you been? Is… everything okay at home?"

"Hmph. What do you think?" Chi-Chi asked, placing her own knuckles against her waist as she looked back at the two men, both of whom felt their bodies stiffen at the glare she shot their way. "I've spent the last six months mourning over the loss of both my husband and my son. And since Bulma and Oolong are out searching for the dragon balls to wish one of them back, I can only guess who out of the two of them they're going to use the dragon's wish for."

Freezing up at the dagger-like stare she was now giving them, both Yamcha and Krillin wisely chose to keep their mouths shut.

Launch meanwhile, being the bravest of the men that'd bothered to approach the Son mother, then gave the young female a quick look over. "So what exactly brings you here today, Chi? Is there something we can help you with?"

"Actually, yes," Chi-Chi replied, her gaze turning to where the venerable Kami and his associate was standing. Removing her hands from their place, she then stepped towards the elderly guardian of the earth. When she stopped in front of him, the young mother folded her hands in front of her and bowed politely to the robed protector. "Greetings, Kami-sama. It is a pleasure to meet you again."

Smiling kindly, the great overseer of the world bowed back to the young woman. "The pleasure is all mine, young Chi-Chi." When both individuals raised their heads once again and faced each other, Kami then allowed a warmer smile to tug at his lips, as he quickly came to suspect why she was here. "Now… what is it that I can do for you today?"

Chi-Chi's expression then transformed from one of humble patronage to one of sheer determination. "I heard from Bulma that all of Goku's friends and companions were up here on the Lookout, training for the arrival of the Saiyans- the friends of the same man that threatened my husband and my son." Her attention briefly shifted over to Raditz, who she saw stiffen when she frowned at him. A few seconds later however, she then looked back over at Kami. "I also heard that you're desperate for help, since you've also recruited some of my husband's former enemies."

Her quick breakdown drew a nod from Kami, who then tightened his grip on his staff. "That's correct. The Earth is in grave danger after all… and considering the strength of the threat that is approaching us, everyone who is present has unanimously agreed that it would be in our best interests to put aside our disagreements and join forces to combat this new menace." The elder then lifted his head. "Do you have a problem with this?"

A few moments later, Chi-Chi smirked. "Not at all. The more the merrier, I say. In fact, I'll do you one better." She then stuck her chest out and straightened her back, facing down the guardian of the planet with a spark of resolve burning in her raven eyes. "Though I hate the idea of fighting, since the entire world and our home is in danger of being destroyed, with your permission I would like to join you in your training."

This statement had most of the Z-fighters, with the exception of Kami, drop their jaws and gape at the woman in alarm.

"A-Are you serious, Chi-Chi?" Krillin asked, completely stumped at hearing the woman's statement.

The mother glared back at the short, bald fighter sternly. "I'm dead serious." She then turned her gaze back to the guardian. "These Saiyan took away my husband and my son. If these brutes are coming here to this planet to take away everything else, then I'm just going to have to get strong enough to stop that from happening." She then clenched her fist and raised it in front of her. "I'm going to beat those scumbags black and blue, and demand for them to bring my son back. Through hell and across the stars if necessary."

Launch, sensing the determination and confidence emanating from the mother, smiled broadly at the look she was giving the men. Looking to her left and seeing Raditz staring back at the female nervously, the gunslinger chuckled and nudged him in the side. "If you're wondering who that is… that's your brother's wife."

"His mate?" Raditz whispered, quickly looking her over before grinning anxiously. "Heh. Yeah. I can see why he got together with her." Her ferocity and spirit were certainly a standout amongst the females he'd met before. However, through all of this the man glimpsed a very strong, protective nature in the woman, as well as a genuine love and care for her family.

Guess his younger brother had some good taste after all.

Following Chi-Chi's brave statement, when he saw the woman lower her arm and gaze in his direction for several seconds- as if waiting patiently for a response- Kami decided to give her one. With a warm smile returning to his ancient face, the green warrior and overseer of the planet then nodded his head towards her and spoke.

"Very well," Kami said, putting a smile on Chi-Chi's face as she clenched a fist victoriously behind her back. "We shall start your training first thing tomorrow. But before that, I think it will be good for you to meet the rest of the team."

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Author's Note: **Let me know what you guys think. I know Cooler may seem a bit off in character here, but bear with me for a moment.

I'd originally had this chapter longer, but have recently split it in half for expositional sake. You guys will be finding out more about Cooler and his plans in the next chapter, which is dubbed _Motivations_ and will be the last of the Raider Saga, before the story moves into the Vegeta Saga.

If you are a fan of my work, you can follow me through deviantart, twitter and paetreon. It would really mean a lot if I can get a lot more people on board for my doujinshi projects.


	15. Raider Saga - Motivations

**Author's Note: **Here it is. The last chapter in the Raider Saga.

Next Saga, the Vegeta Saga.

* * *

**Dragonball Z**

_**Alter Age**_

_Motivations_

(Flashback)

(30 Years Ago)

_Deep within the bowels of a large alien palace, dominated by dozens of spires and buildings spanning across the entire estate, all of which rested in the heart of a city on a world known across the cosmos as Cold Planet 1 (aka CP 1), two very important individuals could be seen making their way down the large, citadel's corridor. Watched from the walls by dozens of sentries on full alert, all of whom were armed with large, white wrist blasters and adorned in full, RIT battle armors, the pair of alien figures strolled down the carpeted floor towards a set of large, white blast doors._

_The moment they came within range of the massive entrance, the gate automatically opened- the two barriers sliding apart and allowing the alien pair access to the enormous chamber that lay beyond its threshold. Passing into the well-lit assembly hall, with a ceiling that stretched three stories above them, held up by two rows of thick, white pillars on either side of the main path, and decorated by countless red banners and flags hanging off of the window-lined walls, the two young aliens marched across the open and empty floor space. Eventually coming upon a throne elevated atop a series of steps at the back of the hall, the aliens then stopped and promptly dropped to their knees._

_The duo revealed themselves to be none other than the infamous brothers Frieza and Cooler of the unofficially titled Frost Demon race. While the former was assumed in his third restricted form, otherwise known as his __**First Form**__\- as evident by his light pink skin, ribbed tail and limbs, white carapace plates, and two, short horns protruding out of his crown, his older brother was currently locked in his __**Assault Form**__. Unlike his younger sibling, Cooler's skin in his first restricted form- or Third Form- was purple, and his white carapace plates had a couple extra accents growing out of his shoulders and his tail. What's more, his elongated head was a lot wider than his brother's when transformed, and sported a pair of extra white horns, with his snout being noticeably shorter._

_Despite the different forms the siblings had taken- the older brother also sporting a cape over his right shoulder, as opposed to the grey and brown RIT armor his younger family member was wearing- the two of them both bowed the same way to the individual seated before them._

_This person turned out to be there father, King Cold- the massive purple alien assumed in his Second, horned form reclining back in his massive, custom throne of grey and black metal. Wearing his signature black and yellow RIT battle armor and red cape hanging off of both his shoulder accents and down his back, the purple alien and current leader of the __**Planet Trade Organization**__ struck a presence that was virtually unmatched by any other person in that room. Aside from his two sons, both of whom stood only about as high as his waist, and his chief advisor, the chamber was also occupied by a group of eight guards._

_These guards stood to the left and right sides of King Cold's platform. All adorned in full, white suits and covered from head to toe in white armor plating, these warriors were presently at full attention, remaining as still as statues. Though their outfits possessed the same shape and style as the rest of the Cold Force, these men and women were not only more elegantly dressed than the rest of the troops, they also wore full head helmets with black visors that covered their whole faces, and were each armed with a unique weapon- either a white staff, lance or sword. To match their unique appearances, these eight fighters also sported the exact same emblem on the left of their chest plates- consisting of a black diamond with eight lines protruding from its center._

_This designated them as members of the Blizzard Corp- the old guard that served under Grand Emperor Blizzard- the former leader of the PTO- and currently King Cold's personal Royal Guard._

_Beside them, the tiny, yet distinct form of Berryblue could be seen floating at the great ruler's side- her hands behind her back and her signature, sly smile present on her lips._

_The moment Cold saw his two sons drop to their knees and bow to him, the warlord and ruler of most of the known universe knew what was to come. He addressed them promptly._

"_Welcome back, my sons," the father spoke- his voice deep, commanding, and carrying a pompous tone fit for a ruler of his supreme stature. "I trust your extended assignments to the outer rim worlds were a success?"_

"_Yes they were, father," Cooler spoke, his voice also low in pitch, but also possessing a very proper and honorable tone. "All inhabited planets in the outlying regions have been successfully explored and conquered, as you requested."_

"_All hostile forces have been vanquished and every potentially rebellious element has been effectively silenced. Their territories and resources now belong to you and the empire," Frieza followed immediately afterwards, his own tone higher and more nasally than his brother's._

_The smile that appeared over the king's face was one of dark delight. "Hmm… good. Very good." Tail waving in a pleased manner, the giant of an alien drummed a finger against the arm rest of his throne, before then glancing across at his fateful assistant- who he could see was still floating in place beside him. "Berryblue, remind me again… how many planets were these two tasked with destroying over the past month?"_

_The blue, levitating female turned to the king and smiled. "My lord, your sons were assigned and instructed to destroy fifty planets each- many of which were occupied by small pockets of civilization."_

"_And how many did they manage to snuff out?" Cold asked, an expectant smile in play._

_Berryblue narrowed her eyes a little in thought. "Well, according to the reports transmitted by their respective subordinates, Lord Frieza managed to wipe out all fifty of his assigned planets- including an additional ten as part of an effort to crush the rebel army that attempted to hide out in the system he was charged with pacifying. Lord Cooler on the other hand only managed to destroy twenty two of them."_

"_Twenty two?" Cold questioned in surprise, his red eyes quickly shifting to his eldest son, whom he saw kept his head low and his eyes closed._

_Before the King could inquire any further as to this unusually low number, while at the same time giving his older son a very hard stare, Berryblue mercifully continued. "The remaining twenty eight planets that the young prince spared however have demonstrated a sharp increase in technological advancement and productivity. Upon pledging their allegiance to the empire, the communities living on those worlds have responded to Lord Cooler's actions by immediately committing a great deal of their shipments of valuable resources vital to our empire's development and infrastructure to us- including tungsten, oxium, and radonium. They have even contributed a great deal of personnel with incredibly high power levels to the Cold Force from their region. Truly, young Cooler managed to uncover a veritable goldmine during his expedition."_

"_Hm. Fascinating," King Cold replied, his gaze once again turning to his sons to see their heads were still bowed._

_Due to the angle the man was sitting in, he completely missed the glares both Cooler and Frieza gave one another. While the latter looked at the larger, older sibling with scorn, the older one simply shot the younger one a cocky look, which in turn had the pink-skinned prince snarl and turn his attention back to the floor. From there, the duo then waited for their father's inevitable assessment of their performances._

_When it came, the pair were quite caught off guard by what the man had to say._

"_In light of your respective performances in the outlying regions of our empire's territories, the two of you have proven to me that you are without a doubt ruthless, capable, and effective commanders. Both of you have a firm grasp of what is required in your roles as rulers, able to follow your duties to the latter, and make your own decisions as to what the best courses of action are- traits that are ideal for helping our great kingdom and business grow and prosper in the foreseeable future. Because of the shining report given to me by my attendant, I've finally been able to reach a decision," King Cold stated, pausing for a moment as he lifted his head and beamed down at his two boys- both of whom were now waiting in anticipation for their father to finish his announcement. "I will retire from my rule as Supreme Leader and Commander of the Cold Force, effective immediately… and divide up my kingdom between the two of you."_

_Eyes widening at this, both Frieza and Cooler quickly looked up at their father- their red eyes wavering as their minds processed what their superior and parent had just said to them._

"_Father. You don't mean-" the young Frieza uttered, only to be interrupted by his father's smile as he extended his hand toward them._

"_Just like my father before me- Emperor Storm- I am passing on the keys to my kingdom to my descendants, and stepping down into a life of peace and comfort. After ruling this universe for so many centuries and witnessing countless civilizations rise, fall and burn, I feel that I have seen and done enough to warrant a quiet end to my rule. My decision on this is final," King Cold informed, lowering his arm and setting it against his arm rest. When he saw his two boys lower their heads once more, the Emperor continued. "I shall split up the territories based on the information given to me by Berryblue. For my oldest son, Cooler, I shall give you sectors forty two through to sixty eight of the northern quadrant. Lord Frieza shall receive all of the remaining central sectors in the northern and eastern quadrants, and the major bulk of the Cold Force- including the Saiyans of Planet Vegeta, and all of their outlying territories. They are an effective workforce after all, so be sure to make good use of them, child."_

_Grinning at hearing this news, the youngest sibling lowered his head in a bow. "I am honored, father." Seeing his parent raise his hand and bid him to approach, the horned youngster stood up and casually approached the steps to where his parent was sitting, leaving Cooler where he was kneeling._

_The oldest sibling however, after hearing what his father had to say, was stumped._

_When Frieza noticed Cooler remaining where he was, the youngest stopped and looked behind him inquisitively. At the same time King Cold tilted his head and gave the brother a curious look._

"_What's wrong, son?"_

_Eyes searching the air in front of him for a moment, the still kneeling prince looked up and fixed his stare on his parent. "Father… those sectors you gave me… they are right on the edge of our empire's borders. There are hardly any major or fertile worlds out there… and barely any large communities or capitals. There's nothing but barren wastelands and wild space beyond them. So… so why…?"_

_King Cold smiled and shrugged, "Why? Well… the answer to that is actually quite simple, my son. Considering the incredible job you did across all of Messiah Grey 12- uniting the populaces under our banner and tapping into their people as a source of great riches and manpower- you have proven to me that you are indeed gifted with the ability to make something out of nothing. It would be a waste of your potential to put your keen mind to work on worlds that are already capable of governing and sustaining themselves. Thus I am giving you the territories along our borders to help strengthen and expand our empire. Perhaps to even the unknown regions of space."_

_Cooler, unable to wipe the shocked look from his face, clenched his teeth and tightened his snout. "B-But… that's grunt work… a scout commander's duty…"_

"_And I'm sure you'll do a great job, my son," Cold exclaimed, at the same time raising his hand and waving for his boy to head off. "This meeting is officially concluded. You may take your leave now. Be sure to link up with Captain Salza and Kikono-san, and have them assemble the seventh and eighth naval forces. I'm sure that you'll find their help to be most useful to you on your future exploits."_

_Hearing this and seeing the smug smile thrown back at him from Frieza, caused Cooler's fists to clench and blood to boil. When he saw his younger brother march up the steps to join their father at his side, while at the same time receive an approving look from the man himself, the older sibling snarled angrily before then standing up._

_Right now, he'd had enough._

"_You're always spoiling him!" Cooler shouted, at the same time reaching up and pointing at his younger sibling, causing both Frieza and Cold to look in his direction. When he saw their eyes land on him, the clearly frustrated prince growled before bringing his hand down and slapping it against his chest. "All these years… __**all these years…**__ I've given everything I have to you and the empire, father! I worked! I served! I trained! I studied for hours on end, every single day- looking for new ways to expand the trade and advance our kingdom! I resolved the Red Sun Syndicate Crisis years ago, led the mercy missions to major worlds when they were struck by cosmic famine, and even stopped a massive super nova from wiping out one of your capital planets while you were off on a diplomatic mission to Beerus-sama's world!" He then stepped forward and continued his angry tirade. "After everything I did… after all the years I sacrificed for you… I deserve to inherit the major systems of your empire! Yet you give the lion's share to Frieza!" The sweat that appeared on Cooler's brow and the veins that appeared in his eyes showed how infuriated the boy now was. "I'm your oldest son! I deserve more!"_

_Frowning when he heard his son finish his angry tirade, King Cold glared down at the boy as he panted away. When a moment of tense silence came and went, the large emperor suddenly moved- rising up from his throne and causing a loud creak to echo throughout the chamber. Seeing the supreme leader remove himself from his seat caused Berryblue to float away, while Frieza and Cooler both dropped to their knees._

_His cape falling behind him and tail waving, the hulking King Cold then proceeded down the steps- his footfalls causing loud thumps to echo off of the throne hall's stone walls._

_Atmosphere intensifying, Cooler kept his gaze down while his father descended the rest of the steps. During which time, the young prince then heard the man speak._

"_The truth of the matter is that you, my dear boy, aren't fit to rule the major regions and vassals of my empire. Not even close," King Cold informed, his feet continuing to stomp down the steps before eventually reaching the floor. "When you were first born, I'd hoped you would be just like our ancestors were. Cold, cruel, pitiless, and powerful- someone who possessed the same heart and resolve to become the next __**Grand Emperor**__\- the next __**Destroyer**__\- just like your great grandfather before you. You had all the advantages in the universe handed to you and more." Continuing across the floor, the large tyrant then stopped several feet from the boy and glared down at him. "Yet despite your great strength of spirit, drive, and meticulously sharp intellect… you lacked the same power and potential to become a true tyrant. That, along with your misplaced sense of compassion for lower lifeforms, and insufferable desire for constant improvement in all facets of existence… made you unworthy to inherit my position." The man's frown deepened. "I'd hoped that in time, you would grow out of these little flaws and immaturities polluting your otherwise promising nature. But it seems that… I was mistaken."_

_Cooler blinked in confusion, before then looking up at the towering alien above him. "I… I did everything that you ever wanted of me. I did everything that a leader would do… a _true_ leader. Someone that our people would look up to and respect."_

"_Yes. A leader… but not an emperor," Cold replied, lifting his head and glaring down at the child beneath him. "The emperor needed to rule my kingdom is someone who strikes terror into the hearts of every living being who hears his name- someone who is willing to destroy and take innocent lives without a second thought. Your brother has proven himself to be a true master in this field- as shown by his willingness to obey my orders and wipe out all the worlds he was tasked with eliminating without a second thought." He nodded towards his youngest son, whom he sensed glance up and smirk. "His cold-heartedness, unquestioning arrogance, and raw power are all the traits necessary for him to become the next supreme ruler of the universe. Perhaps someone who can even surpass Lord Beerus someday. His potential is exceptional after all. But you… no action you ever performed in your life was without thought… and all endeavors you ever undertook were completed by your vision. Your design. Quaint… but meaningless in the big picture." The father's lips twisted into a sneer as he glared down at his now shocked son. "Your heart and mind make you soft, unbalanced, and weak. And weakness is not a trait needed in my family. You, my son, are a disappointment… and a failure."_

_Snapping, Cooler's expression immediately twisted into one of rage, before his power level spiked. With a howl of anger, the young prince's purple aura exploded around him and tore a crater into the floor- incinerating his cape as the carapace armor plating covering his body fractured, before exploding. When a blast of fire exploded across the throne room- warping the pillars and the air- the smoke then cleared to reveal the prince had transformed to his Fourth and Final form- his purple skin throbbing with veins, and smooth carapace plates glowing under the heat of his energy._

_While Frieza appeared stunned to see his older brother jump to his last form, his father King Cold merely stood in place, while feeling the winds of his son's aura blast him in the face._

_With a loud yell, Cooler sprang off of the ground and lunged at his dad in rage, drawing his fist back for a punch. But before he could even get within reach of the towering form of his parent, King Cold suddenly lifted his right hand ever so slightly, aimed his palm at the floor, before launching an attack._

_In an instant, multiple pink __**Death Beams**__ shot straight down from all five of Cold's fingers, which bounced off the floor and struck Cooler in the torso. All five projectiles exploded immediately on impact, filling the air with a flash of fire as they sent the oldest son flying back several yards across the throne room to crash into the hard ground. The moment the stunned alien's back slammed into the marble surface and skidded across the flat of the floor, the eight Royal Guards stationed beside King Cold's throne suddenly vanished into thin air._

_The moment Cooler's smoldering body slid to a stop, the eight Royal Guards of the Blizzard Corp reappeared around the prince, dropped into fighting stances, and aimed their respective weapons at him- the ends of them lighting up red and humming brightly as they were set to skewer him should he move another inch._

_King Cold however stopped them with a quick wave of his hand. The moment he gestured for the eight guards to back away, they immediately did- retracting their weapons in the process._

"_Insolent child! Unsheathing your full power on me! Consider yourself lucky that you are my own flesh and blood, otherwise I would've killed you on the spot," King Cold stated, watching as the stunned and clearly shaken Cooler scrambled up into a sitting position to stare back at him. Tail waving, the completely calm and collected father grunted as he turned his shoulder to the boy and waved him off. "I will overlook this outburst today. Now take what you have earned and leave for your assigned sectors, before I change my mind. I have business to discuss with your brother."_

_Without another word, Cold turned his back on Cooler and marched over to his throne, where his youngest boy was waiting. Initially the older sibling wanted to speak up and call his father back. But upon feeling the pain from the blunted beams searing against his chest and seeing the eight royal guards glaring at him from behind their visors, the young princess quickly thought it best not to argue any further._

_So, picking up whatever dignity he had left, along with himself, Cooler stood, turned around, and limped out of the throne room. All the while he watched from the corner of his eye as King Cold and Frieza looked back at him, observing him leave through the giant double doors at the end of the room._

_That moment would be the last time the three members of the family would ever share the same room as one another for next couple of decades…_

(End Flashback)

XXX

(Present)

(Orbiting Star 136)

Having been posted on the bridge of his vessel for a majority of the morning, Cooler could be found standing in front of the enormous, dome barrier of his ship's main viewing window. With his hands behind his back and tail swishing casually behind him, the young prince of the _Planet Trade Organization _and leader of the Cooler Force allowed his thoughts to wander.

The subjects that blinked in and out of his nebulous varied from serious to trivial. Most of the time he would be pondering over his current and next assignment, as well as the number of deals he would be able to strike with the clients looking to purchase his services. When the thoughts became dull and he found himself caught in a loop, he would then find himself briefly flickering through memories of his past- scenes and moments involving the dysfunctional members of his family, and growing up under the stern guidance of his father. Based on the expression of discomfort currently pulled across his mug, it was clear the young lord didn't quite enjoy looking back on some of these memories.

For a while it seemed like Cooler would be spending most of his day stuck in this clearly distressing meditation. But as fate would have it, the man was about to get a much needed period of reprieve, as his attendant Berryblue suddenly came floating into the room- her hands behind her back and her usual smile clearly stretched across her lips.

"Lord Cooler. Captain Salza and his team have returned," the female assistant spoke, at the same time drifting toward the side to make way for the soldiers in question.

Perking up at hearing this, the young, lizard prince did an immediate wheel around. When his eyes fell upon the floor space of the deck behind him, he was immediately greeted by the sight of the five members of his elite commando unit marching in through the main entrance- all of whom were dressed in new sets of their signature squadron uniforms and armor, and sporting newly provided scouter units. With Salza and Neiz walking at the front of the formation, Cooler also saw that the team was accompanied by the three kitsune-seijin children he remembered seeing in the hologram transmission- the trio walking in alongside the familiar, now noticeably stronger looking Son Gohan.

The moment the group stopped before the young emperor, all of them immediately set their right arms over their torsos and bowed to him- with Kida and her friends quickly copying the group's actions.

"_**Greetings, sire," **_the entire squad greeted in unison.

Feeling a smile tug at his black lips, Cooler then calmly strolled towards the group, all the while waving towards them with his hand. "At ease, men." Watching the group return to normal standing positions, the young ruler of this quadrant of space and head of the force then stopped before the group and looked between them. "I'm glad to see you all made it back to the ship in one piece. Excellent work." Taking note of the various changes they'd undergone, the alien prince nodded in approval before then turning his gaze towards the kitsune-seijin he could see peering up at him from behind Gohan. "Ah. I take it these three little ones are our newfound guests from CP-179?"

When all eyes fell on the kids, Salza nodded affirmatively. "Yes, sir. That's them. Kida, Rei and Riko."

Realizing that Cooler was studying them, the demi-Saiyan youngster standing in the way of the girls turned to them, smiled and beckoned them forward. After sharing tentative gazes with their savior, the three fox girls then slowly and cautiously moved forward, coming to stand in front of the alien ruler's shadow with their hands in front of them and nervous looks on their faces.

A few seconds then followed after that, in which the purple-skinned prince inspected the three kitsune one after the other. In that time, Rei was able to give Kida the last of the _Tree of Might_ fruit that they had in their possession, the latter of whom then took it into two hands, moved forward, and held the prize out to the alien royal. She bowed her head at the same time when she saw the man's red eyes fix upon her.

"A gift for you, Cooler-sama," Kida said in a low voice, her eyes closed and her body stiffened in a clear sign of nervousness. "From my friends and my home planet."

Seeing the girl shiver as she held the fruit out to him, the curious Cooler reached out and took the fruit being offered to him by the girls. "So… this is the fruit that was the cause of all the chaos that unfolded on your world? A fruit born of the legendary _Tree of the Kais_? Otherwise known as the _Tree of Might_." Holding it up and turning it, looking the studded ball over for a few moments, the alien ruler smiled and lowered it to his side. "Thank you. This is a most generous gift."

Realizing the young emperor was returning her gratitude with his own, Kida nervously stepped back and turned to her friends, who she happily clasped hands with. As the trio whispered and giggled excitedly with one another in their own circle, under the watch of the moved members of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_, the young prince and leader of this branch of the PTO turned to his squad.

"I look forward to hearing the stories you five have to share with me of your journeys across the quadrant and outer rim territories. But right now, I wish to speak with Gohan," Cooler informed, his attention shifting from the adults in the squadron to the boy standing behind the trio of fox girls. When he saw the Saiyan hybrid straighten up, the alien warlord glanced up at Salza and Myra. "If you don't mind, I would like this to be a conversation between the two of us."

Nodding, the captain and female members of the squadron bowed. "Of course, my lord," the latter whispered.

With their request given, the group of adults then promptly left the bridge, with Neiz having to round up Gohan's newly made friends and physically lead them out. Though the girls were reluctant to leave their savior, the demi-Saiyan gestured to them that he would be fine, and Kida, Rei and Riko promptly and willingly followed Myra and her team out. Once the double-doors of the bridge sealed shut behind them and silence fell over the bridge once again, this left Gohan, Cooler and Berryblue standing alone on the deck.

As the beeping of the nearby computer terminals rung in the background, the wild-haired Saiyan boy faced down the young prince as he stood before him. Fixed with proper posture, the purple alien then suddenly stepped to the side, and nodded for the boy to follow him. As Cooler began to walk, Gohan promptly fell in step of him, leaving Berryblue to watch from behind as the pair ventured over to the bridge's main viewing window at the front of the vessel's main control room.

"Now, tell me… how have you been these past several months?" Cooler asked curiously, strolling slowly alongside the youngster. "Has working on the force been good for you? Has the team been treating you well?"

Realizing conversation had begun between the two of them, Gohan cleared his throat and smiled back at the alien prince. "Oh, y-yes. Yes, sir. All of my teammates have been incredibly fair and kind to me… especially Myra-nee. I've enjoyed working with her and every one of them, and they've done so much to help me improve my skills and become stronger." The boy looked up at the taller alien and put on a warm smile. "I don't think I ever would've come this far without their guidance."

"Good. That's very good to hear," Cooler replied, smiling to himself while keeping his gaze fixed ahead of him as he sauntered on at a comfortable pace. "It seems that I was right to insert you into their ranks and charge them with overseeing your development and education. After only a few short months, you've not only grown as a warrior, but you've also become an incredibly valuable member of their squad- someone who they can rely on and trust, especially during their most difficult assignments."

"Indeed, sire," Gohan stuttered a little, before clenching his fists and taking a steady breath to calm himself. "There were a few jobs we received that were incredibly tricky to complete. But thanks to all of us working together and helping each other out, even when we were outnumbered and outgunned a thousand to one, we were able to pull through those fights with little issue."

"Oh, I'm well aware of that," Cooler chuckled, keeping a hand behind his back as he strolled around the bridge with the child keeping pace alongside him. "The reports you and your team have been sending back to me have been incredibly well-detailed. The ops you performed and spearheaded on several hostile worlds were especially riveting… and that's not even counting your latest mission to CP-179." The alien cocked a brow as he glanced down at the child walking next to him. "The data we received from your group's battle with the Saiyan Pirate, Turles, was a real eye-opener. A power level clocking over fifty million?" The young prince chuckled. "Now _that_ certainly caught my attention."

"Well… it wasn't an easy fight, I can tell you that. Though I did manage to overpower him later on in the fight, it was thanks to our teamwork and Kida's help that we were able to walk away from that skirmish alive," Gohan informed, wanting to put the spotlight on his friends, who practically carried most of the fight in the lead up to their opponent's monstrous power boost. It was only after that when things all went to hell. "While I may have beaten him, I was only able to pull it off after recovering and pushing my body past its limits-"

"And tapping into your fabled Super Saiyan powers?" Cooler asked, causing the youngster to stop short before shooting him a rather mischievous grin. "Thought I didn't know? Well, unlike my younger brother, I don't judge people based solely on superficial numbers and surface-level powers, nor am I so quick to dismiss the theories and ideas of common folk. I'm also far more studious than he is and prefer using my brains to solve my problems, rather than let my ego cloud my judgement. After all, you can't fix a broken down machine just by hitting it with a really large hammer and threatening it. There's a lot more to it than that." Stopping in front of the control room's main window, the ruler kept his left arm pressed behind him while the other continued to hold onto the fruit of the _Tree of Might_. During which time the man turned to face the child beside him properly. "Most legends in this universe are born from truth. When I look at something, I always tend to look beyond what can be seen… and try to figure out exactly what makes that thing tick. I like to break things down, analyze their true nature, and then cultivate them. Whether or not they grow into something special in the future takes time, but you'd be surprised at what you can accomplish with the right amount of work and effort."

Gohan, swallowing somewhat nervously, nodded back to the young man. "A wise policy, sir. You can definitely go a long way by acting smart and having a strong work ethic. Neiz-san and Myra-nee certainly think so… and so do I." The boy then grinned at him. "That must be why so many people look up to you and respect you. I bet you must've worked yourself to the bone building the kingdom that you now have."

A light laugh left the young lord's lips after he processed the youngster's flattering remark. "Well, politics to my family is practically the same thing as fighting- it's always a one-sided massacre. Only in my case, I didn't have to rely on my father's former prestige as Grand Emperor to construct my branch of the empire. I started building mine virtually from the ground up." Smile disappearing for the moment, Cooler then glanced out the window and started looking out across the stars. "Have you heard much about the other members of my family?"

Blinking a couple of times, Gohan then reached up and scratched the back of his head. "Only what Myra-nee and the others have told me. They said that your younger brother was incredibly feared, cruel and powerful… and that your father was the greatest of your entire race. He also controls most of the known universe, if I remember right."

"Unofficially, yes," Cooler answered, straightening his back and inhaling deeply. "The members of my family are considered some of the most powerful beings to ever exist in the cosmos- regarded as mutants by the majority of our species due to our abnormally high power levels. What's more, to accompany our high battle strength, those in my bloodline are also born with incredibly merciless natures and unbelievable levels of cruelty. While my father and brother wholeheartedly embrace these traits, I myself came to believe that relying solely on them was a flaw, as it not only limited my abilities to think and command, but also blinded me to so many possibilities- such as seeing the potential within people and giving others the benefit of a doubt. Ruling through reason and evenhandedness rather than through fear gives me far more than what I could get from simply haphazardly annihilating everything in my path- though I admittedly like to flex a small measure of terror to remind people of the consequences should they step out of line. And it was following this very view that molded me into the ruler you see today."

Nodding in understanding, Gohan allowed his mind to process the information the young prince shared with him. It was a bit unusual to the young boy to hear the leader of their forces, the prince himself, talking to him about stuff that would otherwise be considered personal. That wasn't even counting the fact that he was talking for so long and to him of all people. Now while the demi-Saiyan appreciated the time and effort the ruler and leader was giving him, talking about himself and having this brief one-on-one between them, Gohan suspected that there had to be a very good reason for it.

The answer to that question revealed itself a few minutes later. Following a moment of tense silence between the imposing alien and the Saiyan child, Cooler decided to finally get to the meat of why he asked to meet with the child personally.

"When Myra and Dore brought you to me, I first didn't think you were anything special. I thought you were just an ordinary, vagrant Saiyan child that managed to escape my younger brother's genocide of your people, and left stranded on a wild, alien planet on the edge of one of the northern galaxies. But when I heard what my two best soldiers had to say about your strength and glimpsed the fire burning in your eyes as you faced me, I knew right away that this wasn't a child that I should dismiss and turn away. This was a child that should be trained," Cooler stated, tearing his eyes away from the glass to look down at the youngster. Meeting the inquisitive stare of the youngster, the alien with white carapace plates and purple skin smiled. "Now that you've had time to adjust to your new environment, I have a favor to ask of you."

"Of course, sir. Anything," Gohan chirped, appearing momentarily taken aback that the ruler of this part of the universe was making a request to him, rather than simply giving him a straight out order.

Smiling broadly, Cooler- his face calm and collected- then spoke his next words without hesitation. "The _Planet Trade Organization_ was a business created by my ancestors as a way to make a living off of the task given to them by the God of Destruction- Beerus."

The demi-Saiyan blinked. "Your… family were given orders by a God?"

"Yes," Cooler nodded, his smile remaining ever present across his lips. "Due to our connection to the God of Destruction's throne, my family was charged with the monitoring, conquering, and destruction of multiple worlds across the universe while the Destroyer was undergoing his regular hibernation cycle. All of the systems my family was tasked with overseeing and clearing was handed to us on a list by Lord Beerus himself. However, while I myself have been performing my part of our duties down to the exact number, my father has allowed my younger brother to go off the reservation and destroy planets not authorized by Lord Beerus. Countless races have perished because of his actions and, as a result, the number of species previously living in the cosmos has dropped considerably." Cooler's smile faded when the thought of what his parent was doing hit him hard. "My guess is that my father is grooming my younger brother to become the next God of Destruction after Beerus."

Gohan balked when he heard this, before frowning deeply. "What would you like me to do?"

Cooler then allowed a smile to form on his face. "I want you to help me to kill my brother and my father." Noticing the surprised look that came over the child's face, the alien stepped a little closer to him, while Berryblue observed the pair silently from a distance- a very mysterious smile pulled across her own lips. "I know it's a big thing to ask of my subordinate… and frankly you probably don't want to get involved in my family's personal business. But as things currently are, I don't have the strength to stand up to both of them at once. I don't have any other options."

"R-Really?" Gohan asked, while at the same time looking his superior over. "But… you're already so powerful."

"True. But while I'm confident I can defeat my brother at my current level, my father is something else altogether," Cooler replied, while at the same time swinging his tail anxiously behind him. "There are few people in our empire that are aware of this, but like Frieza, our father is actually suppressing a massive chunk of his power through various restricted forms. Though I only ever glimpsed it once, when my father reaches his final form… he's virtually unstoppable. There isn't a being in the universe capable of standing up to his might. Except perhaps… a Super Saiyan."

When he said this, Gohan's expression changed. "A Super Saiyan? You mean…?"

This in turn had the young prince narrow his eyes. "The strength of your people's legendary transformation is exactly what I need to overthrow my father and brother, and take their place as supreme commander of the organization." Cooler then lifted his head. "I know it's a retched thing to ask. I'm not a good man by any stretch, nor am I a worthy one, as my hands are also stained with the blood and death of millions. But if you join me on this task and agree to fight alongside me when the time comes, I will grant you anything you desire. Wealth, power, subjects, a home and galaxy of your choosing… anything you want. Just name it… and I will make it happen."

Lowering his head, the child pondered over the ruler's request. Carefully weighing the scales in his head and processing the information he'd been given- the situation with Cooler's family, the state of affairs within the current universe, the missions he'd been sent on to destroy hostile targets and save innocent people, as well as all the other facts he'd been made aware of over the past several months- Gohan was given a good, clear picture of the world around him.

Upon evaluating all of this, the young hero then clenched his fists and looked back up at the alien lord. "You said that your father at full strength was unstoppable, right? That he's the most powerful member of your race?" When Gohan saw Cooler nod back, the boy then felt a smile tug at his lips, which then transformed into a full blown grin. "He sounds like someone who will be fun to fight. If you'll permit me, I'd like to get a shot at him… as long as I get to keep working for you and having a good time with my friends."

This was all Cooler needed to hear, the alien warrior putting on a grin, before bringing his right hand up with the _Tree of Might_ fruit firmly in hand. "I will be sure to reward you properly when the time comes. But, for safety's sake, be sure to keep this conversation a secret between us. Understand?" After saying this and seeing Gohan nod back to him, the prince then took a big bite out of the fruit he was holding, chewed it, and gulped it down. He then waited for a moment for something big to happen, which then led to him glancing down at the ball a few seconds later and smacking his lips. "Hm. Interesting flavor… and it's got quite a kick to it too. Though I'm still not sure what all the fuss was about." He then promptly held it out and placed it in Gohan's hand when he extended it out of reflex. "Here. As a sign of good faith between us. Tell your three kitsune girlfriends I'm grateful."

When the pair exchanged one last look, the alien tyrant then promptly turned around and walked off. At first a bit surprised by the man's offering Gohan, remained where he was for a few moments, before eventually realizing he'd been dismissed. Smile returning, the boisterous, energetic youngster turned heel and jogged out of the bridge's control room, leaving Berryblue alone with the young prince.

Upon seeing the door close behind the child, the blue-skinned attendant quietly floated over to where her lord was standing and beamed at him when she saw he was staring out into space. "That young man shows a lot of promise."

Cooler chuckled in a low voice, "Indeed. And the best thing about it is that I can tell he's only just beginning to tap into his dormant powers. Despite his immense increase in strength, we've only just scratched the surface as to what he's truly capable of." He then glanced over his shoulder at the woman behind him. "With enough training, he might even become strong enough to surpass Lord Beerus in a few years time."

Lowering her head, the levitating female then proceeded on to her next objective at hand. "Should I prepare your pod to go take care of those planets listed on the mission dossier?"

Pondering on the question for a moment, the alien warlord waved his tail and shook his head. "No. I think I'll go out and stretch my legs for this one. If I'm going to be gearing up for a battle against my family, I'll need all the training I can get."

Berryblue nodded in understanding. "Of course, sire."

OOO

(Sometime later)

Upon reuniting with his team in the mess hall- and noticing that Myra wasn't among them- Gohan was able to give Salza and the others a quick overview about what he and Cooler talked about. Though he wisely omitted all of the details regarding the young prince asking for his assistance to one day take down both his younger brother and his father, the youngster was proud to say that the lord was impressed with his work so far, and praised him openly. The feedback he was able to detail and the commendations he received had proven to be both enlightening and uplifting, which in turn earned him several well-earned pats on the back from Dore and Neiz.

Salza on the other hand merely smiled and nodded to him respectfully, as you would expect from the proud captain of the squadron.

After sharing a round of drinks with his squad- the demi-Saiyan having a juice instead of alcohol- as well as a feast in which the boy split some of the fruit left to him by Cooler with the others, Gohan then decided to head on back to his room for a nap.

Kida, Riko and Rei, wanting to stay by the boy's side, promptly joined him on his return journey to his old bunk area and allowed the youngster to lead them around the multitude of winding corridors of the large vessel. Along the way the young soldier showed the three of them all of the important areas on the saucer, including the bathrooms, the canteen area, and the sleeping quarters. He also used the markings on the signs to give them clues as to which way they had to go in order to properly navigate around the maze, so that they could return to wherever they started.

"Cooler-sama's ship is so massive," Riko commented as she gazed up at the well-lit ceiling of the hallway above them, at the same time she and her friends made their way through the officer's sleeping area. "Wow. Not even the merchant vessels and transports that came to our planet were ever this big. Even the biggest ones only carried about twenty or so people."

"And there are so many alien races wandering around that we've never seen before," Kida also remarked, watching as a green, amphibian alien in RIT armor marched past them, at the same time saluting to Gohan. When the child saluted back, the group carried on as usual, with the leader of the kitsune moving closer to the male youngster. "I guess the prince's empire truly is as large and diverse as I heard it was. The amount of people living under his banner is simply astonishing."

Gohan smiled across at her when he saw the blue-furred girl move up alongside him. "It may feel a little weird and overwhelming at first, but I'm sure you guys will get used to it in a few weeks. That is… if you're planning on staying with us for that long."

At first looking back at the boy in surprise, Kida quickly moved closer to him as they continued walking and leaned into his shoulder. The act of doing so caused Gohan to stumble into the white-furred Rei's shoulder- the most serious member of the group also closing the distance between them and sandwiching the young male in the middle.

"O-Of course we want to stay longer," the blue kitsune said.

"We don't have a people or a home to return to anymore. We have nowhere else to go," Riko said, stopping in front of Gohan and causing the hybrid to balk when she stepped right up to him. This interjection also allowed Kida and Rei to lean against his arms better, their tails wagging and eyes gazing widely and anxiously at him. "If… If it isn't too much trouble… we would like to be able to stay with you and your team on your ship."

"All three of us," the white-furred Rei said, while at the same time gazing down at the slightly shorter male warrior. "We'll do anything we can to contribute and provide for Cooler-sama's kingdom. We'll even work for your squad as servants-"

"Or soldiers," Kida also said, her expression being as firm as her compatriots as they practically swamped Gohan in the middle of that corridor and bombarded him with feelings of warm intent, causing the startled hybrid to look between each of them in a stunned fashion. "My people are incredible hunters, trackers, and fighters. The three of us can train and get stronger. Strong enough to fight alongside you and your friends, aid you in your adventures, and assist you on your assignments. All we need is a chance."

"Please, Gohan-kun," Riko said, her voice breaking as she laid her hands against the front of his body armor.

Immediately sensing the seriousness in the three girls, especially from the way all of them were looking at them with such intense looks in their wide eyes, Gohan hurriedly put on a grin and waved them back. Managing to get back enough room to breathe, the wild-haired child chuckled. "Okay. Okay. I'll ask Myra-nee… see what she can do. But I'm sure my team will be more than happy to bring you guys along on our next trip." When he saw the three initially worried kitsune-seijin brighten up, the demi-Saiyan used that moment to ease himself through and direct them down the corridor. "Come on. My room is just past that door."

Prying himself out of the circle the now ecstatic fox girls had formed around him, Gohan led his anthropomorphic friends to the very door that was the entrance to his bunk aboard Cooler's capital ship. Upon keying in the code needed for him to access the room, the hybrid smiled in satisfaction when he heard the 'ping' of approval from the touch pad before the door slid open in front of him.

The half-Saiyan then stepped into the dimly lit room, expecting to find it empty with his bed left exactly as he'd left it the last time he was here. However, both Gohan and the three kitsune following him received quite a surprise when they spotted Myra sitting the dark. Her back against the room's main window and body facing the entrance- the adolescent female was wearing a set of casual spandex, had a small table in front of her, and a candle flickering on top of it.

The instant she saw Gohan step through the threshold with his three fox friends, the orange-haired Hera then brought her hands out from under the table and fired off a party cracker. The loud pop caused Kida and her friends to jump and hide behind the Saiyan as confetti cascaded over the boy, who blinked in confusion when he saw Myra's signature, cheerful grin directed squarely at him.

"Surprise," the adolescent female chuckled, watching as her partner's friends peered out from around his arms like a couple of nervous pups. Setting the empty, smoking cracker down, Myra looked up to see her friend was still standing in place and looking completely baffled. "I figured I would come back to the room early to catch you off guard. Gods know I would never be able to do it anywhere else, since your senses are so damn sharp. But it looks like it worked."

His brain finally catching up as Kida and her friends continued to hang onto him nervously and peer around his shoulders, Gohan tilted his head at his smiling roommate and slowly asked the question, "W-What's all this, Myra-nee?" His eyes were noticeably cast down towards the metal table unfolded in front of the Hera.

Grinning when she saw the boy finally notice the small cake with the single candle burning on top of it, Myra then held her hands out. "Well… after all the time we've been spending together, shooting across the cosmos and going from one spirit-hazing assignment to the next, it just occurred to me that neither of us really, completely welcomed you into our lives. So, considering all of the months that'd passed since we first met- and since you said so yourself that you were four and a half at the time you were on that wild planet- I figured I would crack out a little something to mark this special occasion. Though I do have to apologize for how late it is."

When the teenager stopped to allow Gohan a moment to process what she'd said, the Hera then watched in amusement as the boy's ticked through his innocent, charcoal eyes. A few moments later, and after seeing Kida, Riko and Rei step out from behind him, the child finally realized what she was attempting to do, and looked up at her with astonishment reflected in his gaze.

"Wait. You mean this is-?"

Myra, shrugging her bare shoulders, then smiled happily at the boy. "Happy fifth Birthday, Gohan-kun."

Once he realized what all this fuss was about- with the party cracker being a big give away, the demi-Saiyan child was completely powerless to stop his own smile from coming back full force. Seconds later, the child found himself jogging across the room and throwing his arms around Myra-nee in a big, well-deserved hug, which the Hera happily returned and embraced the boy warmly.

After a full minute of sharing affections, the pair separated and wasted no time in inviting Kida and her friends into their room. Once the door was shut and the lights were back on, the group of five sat down around the small, metal table seated between the two bunks, where Myra and the kitsune-seijin were able to part onto Gohan their best wishes and good fortunes for passing the fifth checkpoint of his lifecycle. When he returned their praises with words and gestures of gratitude to each of them, the boy then blew out the candle of his cake, before helping to cut it.

From there, the group enjoyed their small, afternoon birthday celebration inside the small, two-person room, in which they swapped stories, played games, and enjoyed the remainder of the _Tree of Might_ fruit Gohan had gotten back from Cooler. Though the boy didn't have a single piece of it himself, he was fully content with basking in the joy he was able to experience with the one person he was able to become so close to in his time up here in space- along with the three newcomers who'd also entered his life.

With the events of the battle on CP-179 now slowly becoming a memory that they would not soon forget, Gohan was now left to wonder what was going to happen to him next.

It was a big universe after all. But following his fight with the Saiyan pirate Turles on the kitsune-seijin's home world, the hybrid was convinced that aside from the members of Cooler's family, there was no way he was going to come across another crazy strong foe for a while…

XXX

(Meanwhile)

(Many, many lightyears away)

Panting heavily as he sprinted across a mountainous area in the center of a desert area, a battered and burnt young, adult male of lower than average height and lean build, could be seen stumbling towards a rocky outcrop near his locations. Wearing a set of white boots and gloves, tattered blue spandex, and the remains of what was originally a full set of Saiyan body armor, the black haired man with a single bang hanging in front of his short, spiky locks, and a brown tail waving behind him, gasped desperately as he clumsily stumbled between a line of rocks- clutching his side all the while.

Judging from his current state, it was clear that the stranger was in an incredibly bad way. Not only was he bleeding from multiple cuts and wounds all over his body- having obviously sustained them during a fight- he also had a massive gash in his side, which had torn through his body armor, and was causing him to leave a trail of blood with every footfall. He was also bleeding from the corners of his mouth and sporting a very bad limp, which was making fleeing a very painful exercise for him.

One eye closed as a small trickle of blood dribbled down his forehead, the young Saiyan male suddenly staggered to a stop when he saw that his path was blocked by a wall of rock. Looking up at it in alarm, he then ran up to the barrier and attempted to reach up for a groove overhead. Struggling and grunting as he attempted to climb it, the desperate, wounded Saiyan tried several times to hoist himself up.

Boots scraping and glove clawing helplessly at the cliff's face, the boy then gave a yelp as his body slid down it and his legs crumpled, dropping him to his knees at the foot of the tor. Panting as his head dipped, he then took a minute to catch his breath and regain his bearings.

That minute didn't last for long at all, as the sound of feet touching down directly behind him caused both his eyes to widen in horror and his breathing to still. Slowly turning around at the feeling of a cold shadow looming over him, the injured, barely functioning Saiyan male's gaze landed on the bare torso of the foe that'd been pursuing him.

Slowly and fearfully trailing up the taut, smooth stomach of the individual, the winded young man then saw a large, barely-covered chest situated above the torso, a set of broad shoulders blocking out the sun, and a round, familiar face glaring down at him from above them. Noting the length of long, blonde hair hanging off of their head and waving in the wind, and a pair of blood red eyes with two perpendicular lines going across them glaring at him from under the shadow cast by their long fringe, the Saiyan also noticed through his terrified gaze a series of odd, red markings tattooing their body in various places.

These markings- though appearing tribal at first- and were visible due to the person's scantily clad form, more or less resembled sets of computer lines. The person's face in fact had three of these lines evident in certain places- one going up their chin, and two larger ones tattooed over their eyes that moved across their forehead.

Recognizing the painted face of his pursuer glaring down at him, the horrified young male turned around fully and collapsed against the side of the outcrop. Gasping in panic and pain, the man clutched his side and shakily lifted a hand towards his enemy, whose eyes he saw narrow harder on his person.

"W-Wait… please… wait…" the man gasped, his voice hoarse and low, which clearly indicated how exhausted he was. "W-Why are you doing this? Why are you attacking me? I… I didn't do anything to you. I didn't harm anyone. So… why…?"

At first the dark-skinned foe said nothing and simply stood over the cornered warrior without a hint of change in their expression. After several seconds though, the figure spoke. "On the contrary… you Saiyans have attacked and slaughtered hundreds of thousands of people across the cosmos for centuries- robbing them of their possessions and their lives without hesitation or remorse. As far as I'm concerned, your race has done plenty of harm… especially to my own."

The spiky haired man looked up with a start. "Y-You know… what I am? Where I'm from?" Staring up at the tall stranger in shock for a couple of seconds, the tired fighter gulped. "Who… Who the heck are you?"

Even judging their unique appearance, the boy didn't recognize them at all. They were humanoid in species and bipedal, yet their brown skin and blonde hair didn't ring any bells. Not even the red markings on the bare spots of their flesh gave any indication to what this person was. The only form of identification that the Saiyan was able to make out from his position against the cliff's base, was the black, scratched out _**Galactic Patrol**_ marking on their left shoulder plate of their armor gauntlet.

Aside from that, there was nothing else.

However, as fate's cruel hand would have it, the attacker was more than happy to reveal their identity. When they did, the Saiyan felt his blood run cold.

"A remnant of a time long past- genetically engineered to be superior so as to liberate my race from extinction during a time of suffering and war… a war which we were then losing. But my conception came too late for my people and so I was cast off into the cold vacuum of space- exiled to the farthest reaches of the universe, never to see my home or family again. For centuries I slept… not knowing where I was or how far I'd traveled… until years later I was awoken… and discovered that my people were no more," the stranger spoke, her mature, womanly voice cutting through the air like ice as her red eyes suddenly flashed as they glared down at the startled Saiyan. "You monsters took them from me… and so I have come seeking vengeance."

Though it took the young Saiyan several moments of thought to realize what the female was saying, when his brain eventually clicked on an answer, his jaw dropped in horror.

"You're… a Tuffle?"

"Oh." The figure then lifted their head, at the same time clenching their right fist. "I'm much, _much_ more than that," they hissed, causing the Saiyan male to shiver at their tone. "In me, I not only carry the will and strength of the _Tuffle Race_, but all of their dreams, all of their ambitions, and all of their sorrows. I am their last hope, cursed to bear the memories and hatred of my people, as well as that of my family and the great Tuffle King." The woman then narrowed her eyes as her jaw tightened, before she spoke in a deep voice with a metallic tang. "My name is **Baby**."

Before the Saiyan male could fully process this shock, just as he was lifting his hand to try and plead for mercy, the dark-skinned female with red face markings suddenly drew the pistol holstered on her belt, pointed it, and fired a light blue laser bolt through his chest. The round pierced straight through him with no effort, searing straight through his body and the stone plateau behind him in the blink of an eye.

Voice gone, the raven haired, wide-eyed Saiyan only had enough strength to cough out blood, before his gaze went black and his upper body hunched forward. He was dead before his hand even hit the floor.

Watching the smoke rising from the black patch over his heart, the blonde-haired Baby watched for several moments as she burned the image into her brain. Upon which she swung back her pistol and holstered it with a loud click, before giving a low, indignant grunt.

Dust rolling across the landscape under a stiff wind, the scantily clad, blonde Tuffle female then performed a quick bio-scan of the body, turned around, and walked away from the murder site. Moving out into the open away from the plateau, the adolescent-looking girl in white armored boots and gloves, tight purple thong, white collar armor that had only two purple plates barely covering her ample chest, and sporting a full arm gauntlet on her left arm, then lifted said limb up and pressed a button on her wrist pad.

The sharp beep was soon followed by a blue, holographic visor appearing over her eyes, before then being accompanied by the airspace shimmering in front of her.

When Baby looked up, she saw the solid, hologram image of an elderly-looking man with blue skin, a head of fuzzy grey hair, bushy mustache, and wearing light blue robes, white body armor with enlarged, green shoulder accents, and green pants, appear in the space in front of her. He also had a variety of unique bodily attributes, including engorged growths around his cranial area, a red left eye, and a white right eye. In addition to all of this, the individual appeared to be sitting on some weird, floating, metallic black ball with the texture of glass.

"You rang, Princess?" the old man asked in a deep voice.

In response, the blonde female sighed before shaking her head at the hologram. "Don't call me that, Raichi. I'm not a princess anymore."

"Well, you are still one to me- no matter how much you want to deny it. The blood that flows through your veins is that of the royal family's, after all," the elderly figure replied, placing his hands in his lap before leaning forward inquisitively. "Anyway, why did you summon me? Do you wish for me to bring the spaceship down to you now?"

"In a moment," Baby answered, before she then glanced back at the body she'd left back at the base of the tor. "First I want you to summon up all of the Saiyans that've died over the last decade. I want to take full stock of the numbers to see how my kill count is coming along."

The floating Doctor Raichi nodded, "As you wish, my lady." With only a wave of his hand, the hologram figure then summoned several more solid forms in front of him, all of whom quickly formed into a neat row in front of the Tuffle.

In the span of a few seconds, Baby found herself faces with over two dozen humanoid figures, both male and female alike, all standing in a straight line across the clearing in front of her. Though this collection of adults and children were nothing but mere illusions conjured out of vapor and computer code, the ghosts all acted one-hundred percent lifelike- tugging at their clothes and adjusting their postures as would any, ordinary person would. They also had their eyes glued onto the blonde, who immediately felt a surge of anger flood through her when she saw that all of them were Saiyans.

Most of them were adults and soldiers, as indicated by the trademark Saiyan battle armor that a number of them were wearing. However, as Baby started to move down the line of bodies, it soon became clear that the female had not discriminated between killing any of her targets. This was made clear when she passed not only a female Saiyan adult adorned in ordinary, civilian clothing carrying an infant with her, but a child Saiyan hybrid of only five years old. Barely flinching when she saw the ghost warriors staring back at her with sadness in their charcoal eyes, the woman then stopped when she happened upon the same Saiyan male that she had just shot minutes ago.

However, instead of appearing on the brink of death, the man now standing before her was fully healed and clothed- sporting the exact same armor he had in life leading up to his end.

Baby frowned at the ghost of the warrior she'd killed. "Give me the personal stats on this one. Who was this Saiyan that we just hunted?"

"Scanning," Doctor Raichi replied, a series of beeps ringing out before a cluster of lines and numbers appeared in Baby's hologram visor. "Subject Name: Tarble. Race: Saiyan. Gender: Male. Classification: Lower-Class Warrior- also formerly the second prince and youngest son of King Vegeta the Third."

The dark-skinned Tuffle glanced across at the floating old man in momentary surprise. "A member of the Saiyan royal family? Out here?"

The hologram of the elder responded with a nod. "Indeed. It seems you managed to reel in a big one this time."

Baby scoffed at this before she shrugged. "Hardly. He barely even put up a fight. His family probably sent him all the way to this dead-end world because his battle power was so pathetic." Taking a deep breath, she then sighed. "In any case, another dead Saiyan means a safer, more peaceful universe for everyone. The people of this quadrant can rest easy now that we've wiped another one from existence." With one last look over, the woman then took a deep breath and turned, proceeding further down the line of Saiyan ghosts.

After inspecting the familiar faces that awaited her, including a very portly Saiyan that was standing a couple bodies down from Tarble, Baby suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. Looking ahead of her in confusion, she then backed up several paces and looked upon the face of one of the warriors in her collection. Blinking as she looked them over, the Tuffle then turned to her ship's A.I and pointed at the man in question.

"Who the hell is this? I don't remember seeing this Saiyan's face before."

What Baby found herself pointing at was the very dead, but seemingly alive face of a fully revived, fully armored ghost version of the Saiyan Pirate Turles, who was standing between his comrades with his hands on his hips and a confused look on his face. Since he wasn't expecting to be singled out by the blonde princess, the man's surprise was quite understandable.

Doctor Raichi, floating over to where Baby was standing, then narrowed his eyes on the Saiyan in question. "That… is a new one. He must have expired sometime in the last few weeks… probably killed on some far off and remote planet by a band of brigands." He then looked down momentarily in thought. "The _**Hachiyack**_ super computer must've automatically absorbed his spiritual essence after he died and added his biological imprint to our systems."

"Who is he?" the woman snapped, at the same time frowning across at the Goku-look-a-like. She then nodded to the warrior. "Identify yourself."

The Saiyan straightened up in response. "My name is Turles, a Lower-Class Warrior born on the Planet Vegeta. Age: 25. I was dispatched on a top secret assignment years before the planet's destruction, in search of a weapon that could destroy Frieza and his family. When I heard of my race being wiped out, I decided not to return to the Frieza Force and became a mercenary instead."

Baby scoffed when she heard this. "Typical, murdering, cowardly Saiyans. All of you are exactly the same. You're a big threat when you're in a pack and fighting against a group of people far weaker than yourselves. But once you're all alone and up against someone stronger than you, you decide to show your true colors." Seeing the ghost's unflinching glare, she then narrowed her eyes on him. "How did you die? Tell me."

The spiky haired warrior in dark armor frowned. "I perished in a fierce battle on a world designated CP-179, a terrestrial planetoid residing within Emperor Cooler's territory. The individuals that killed me were members of his elite commando unit, famously known across the quadrant as _Cooler's Armored Squadron_."

"So you went down fighting against them, huh?" Baby remarked, before removing her hand from her hip, turning and beginning to walk away. "I guess that earns you some form of credit. At least you had a far more honorable death than most of your kin here." She was of course referring to the two dozen other Saiyan ghosts standing in the lineup- all of whom were watching and listening to her instructions. "We're approximately a full year's distance from Cooler's branch of the Empire. Even if I wanted to make the trip to find out exactly what happened from them, I don't want to start anything with a member of the Cold family. They're an important business client of mine, after all. No point in confronting them over the death of a single Saiyan. It's not worth the effort."

Just as she was making her way down the line of ghosts and preparing to order Raichi to disperse them, Turles then spoke up. "The person that killed me was a Saiyan child."

The sound of Baby's boots skidding to a stop in the dirt was followed by a moment of tense silence, in which the blonde, dark-skinned Tuffle princess found herself frozen in place. For a moment Doctor Raichi and the ghosts appeared worried, as all of them watched the back of the female bounty hunter remain stiffened.

A few moments later, the beauty of a warrior slowly turned around, and faced the recently killed Turles with a terrifying look in her wide, dilated eyes.

"What did you say?"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Author's Note:** So… two guesses to who Gohan's next enemy is going to be in the future. Lol

In all seriousness though, in integrating and mixing the different villains from the DBZ timeline into the story, I thought it would be very interesting to include a villain that has a deep-seated beef towards the Saiyans in particular. And what better enemy is there than a Tuffle- a member of the race that was outright slaughtered by the Saiyans centuries ago.

Seeing as how Tuffles continue to pop up all over the DBZ fandom, even today in Super, I wanted to include my own spin on Baby's concept- since most of his origins are a real standout. So I took the original character from the godawful GT series, and gave him (now her) a fresh coat of paint.

A Tuffle survivor- and a member of their royal family no less- scouring the universe as a bounty hunter and former agent of the Galactic Patrol, hunting and killing surviving Saiyans hiding across the cosmos. There's nothing more terrifying than a ghost coming back to haunt the remnants of a race responsible for murdering so many.

And she's not alone either. There's another Tuffle from the DBZ universe that is with her.

If you guys are wondering what my version of Baby looks like, I've done a sketch of her on **deviantart** and am planning on doing a colored version soon.

Also, if you want to see more of my artwork or read my **Gohan X Zangya dojin** that I am writing, be sure to check out my work on **paetreon**. I'm publishing all of my R-rated works there.

Let me know what you guys think.

Also, some more specifications below of Gohan and his friends in the Cooler Force:

* * *

**The Comet specifications:**

**Name:** _The Comet_

**Product Line: **Raider/Strike class corvette

**Model:** Raider I class corvette

**Class:** Corvette/Assault ship

**Length:** 70 meters

**Equipment:** Slipspace drive, shields, cloaking device, radar deflection, cannons, hangar bay, _Attack Balls_, Crew Bar – including _Keback_ table

**Armament: **Dual heavy laser cannons, photon missiles

**Affiliation:** Cooler Force/_Cooler's Armored Squadron_ headquarters

**Navy: **Cooler Navy

**Commander(s):** Captain Salza (Squad Leader), Lieutenant Shira (Pilot)

**Crew members: **5 Elite Commandoes, 6 Naval Officers/General Crew, 3 Support Crew

-**Salza**, The Noble (Male – Brench-seijin - Rank: Squad Leader – Captain – Strongest member, aka _Blue Dancer_)

-**Neiz**, The Swift (Male – Zalt-seijin - Rank: First Lieutenant (XO) – Second strongest member, aka _Purple Arrow_)

-**Myra**, The Fair (Female – Hera-seijin - Rank: First Lieutenant – Second strongest member, aka _Azure Beauty_)

-**Dore**, The Strong (Male – Beppa-seijin - Rank: First Lieutenant – Third strongest member, aka _Green Bomber_)

-**Gohan**, The Just (Male – Half-Saiyan, Half-Human - Rank: Second Lieutenant – Formerly fourth, now first strongest member, aka_ Golden Demon_)

Regular crew:

**Shira** (Female – Unknown race - Rank: The Comet's Pilot – First Lieutenant)

**Niyusu** (Female – Brench-seijin - Rank: Comms Officer – Chief Petty Officer)

**Deita** (Male – Roach-seijin (Burter's race) - Rank: Maintenance Officer – Petty Officer, 1st Class)

**Tol** (Male – Unknown race - Rank: Head of Engineering/Hangar Officer – Petty Officer, 2nd Class)

**Kiyo** (Female – Unknown race – Rank: Head Doctor – Petty Officer, 1st Class)

**Zara** (Female – Unknown race – Rank: Mess Officer/Chef – Petty Officer, 3rd Class)


	16. Vegeta Saga - Evil Plot

**Author's Note:** For all those keen for a 'Where's Wally' quest, there are many minor characters from the Dragonball Z universe that make an appearance here. If you can spot and identify them, as well as which episodes they came from, you get top marks. :)

I've also thrown in some dialogue from a game with mixed reviews. See if you can spot that as well and who says those lines. *wink-wink*

* * *

**Dragonball Z**

_**Alter Age**_

_Evil Plot_

(Approximately six months later)

Approaching the very outer reaches of the Solar System in the _Milky Way_ galaxy, the two pods carrying both Vegeta and Nappa within them could be seen screaming across the vacuum of space, clearly on a final approach towards their ultimate destination. With the Earth's sun now in view of their pod's viewing ports, and visibly growing brighter and bigger with every minute that passed them, the pair of eager, restless, and bloodthirsty Saiyan warriors had now reached the point in their journey where they could practically feel their goal was within their grasps.

They'd done the hard leg. They'd crossed over a large chunk of the universe, passing through nebulas, asteroid fields, and star systems that they'd only ever glimpsed through star charts and simulations. And along the way they'd also had a couple of stop-offs, one in which they'd been able to wipe out an entire place of bug creatures with very little difficulty. And now, after almost a full year of traveling across the vast expanse of space, the duo were now closing in on the very world where their ultimate prize lay waiting for them.

They could practically feel the taste of victory on the tips of their tongues. Immortality was theirs for the taking. All they had to do was waste a couple of fighters and threaten a couple of people, and they were as good as gold.

Nothing was going to stop them now.

Of course, they were still a couple of days away from actually arriving on Earth, so all Vegeta and Nappa could do in that time was tap their feet and drum their fingers impatiently as they watched their craft speed towards Pluto's orbit.

Looking out through his window, Nappa smirks. "Hey, Vegeta."

There was a brief moment of pause before the disgruntled voice of his partner grunted back over the radio. _**"What is it, Nappa?"**_

The bald Saiyan grinned broadly. "I bet you fifty credits I can hit that puny ball of ice through the door."

Noticing for himself the tiny form of Pluto just floating on the edge of their viewing range, the Prince of all Saiyans momentarily considered his teammate's bet. However, upon considering the feats that he knew the Saiyan General was capable of, the brown haired warrior in full battle armor merely frowned and closed his eyes.

"_**Don't bother, Nappa. Save your energy,"**_ Vegeta remarked, promptly shooting down his bored comrade's attempt to goad._** "You're going to need every speck you can muster for when we get to Earth, since I'm pretty sure we're not going to be getting a very warm welcome."**_

In response, Nappa chuckled. "Heh. Good point."

Quickly remembering what was at stake- as well as what was possibly waiting for them after this part of their journey was done- the General reclined back in his chair, crossed his arms, and closed his eyes.

Of course, not being the most patient man in the world, approximately two minutes after everything fell silent, Nappa then cracked a smile. "Hey, Vegeta. Want to have a game of twenty questions?"

About a second after asking, Vegeta's aggravated sigh came back over the radio. _**"Ugh… fine."**_

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Galaxies away)

When you were charged with running an empire that spanned over dozens of galaxies and star systems, one of the biggest and most standout questions that you had to ask was how one man or woman could possibly keep such a massive organization functioning without it spiraling into chaos.

For Frieza and his father, it was all a simple matter of keeping up appearances- occasionally flexing their powers on unsuspecting worlds, sending their top henchmen on high profile assignments to otherwise troublesome regions, and keeping a steady stream of rumors of their terrifying feats filtering out across the cosmos's many communication channels. Information and reputation were key weapons for them on the political front and, just like his father, the youngest prince knew exactly how to exploit them.

To prevent rebellions from breaking out around his sectors, Frieza kept all of the people under his rule in check by sending his best men in to either bolster his forces or wreck some havoc. If that wasn't enough, then the emperor himself would step in to make some examples of people. Public executions would follow shortly thereafter, breaking the morale of anyone else who thought it would be a good idea to try and fight back against his empire. And whenever people spoke out against the tyrant and attempted to rally the people against him in a more peaceful form of protest, the Frost Demon would have them locked up or killed on the spot. Acts like these were further punctuated by word getting out of the 'Almighty Frieza' himself, swooping in and resolving the conflicts with as many horrifying details as possible, proving to the universe that he was indeed not a man to be messed with.

His elite commandoes- the Ginyu Force- also ensured that his strength was made even more apparent on worlds that extended beyond his reach, which demonstrated an effective use of his military powers as an instrument of terror.

By performing all of the abovementioned deeds on a regular basis, the cruel and cunning members of the Cold family were able to keep the vassals of their empire on a very tight leash, even when they weren't anywhere near those areas. Any small conflicts that arose in their absence were effectively silenced by swift military actions and bombing campaigns.

It was these very same ideas, procedures, and tactics that Frieza was determined in passing on to his descendants.

In fact, it was on this very day, lightyears away from Earth and any other peaceful world on the outskirts of his territory, the young emperor was doing right now.

Orbiting the large, capital world of his branch in the northern galaxies dubbed _Frieza Planet 1_ (FP-1) - the crown jewel of his empire and the heart of the warlord's economy- there floated in a very open formation the majority of the Frieza Force's main naval armada. The sheer might of the young emperor's military could be seen on full display in the vacuum of space overlooking the purple world covered in white clouds, which amounted to approximately a hundred ships and dozens of assault craft flying between them.

A majority of the vessels considered of medium-sized saucer craft similar to Frieza's vessel, with large crews of just over sixty personnel on each one. These craft floated in a defensive formation around the mothership, keeping watch of the sector as small shuttles transported food, water and other supplies to them from the planet below. Accompanying them floated hundreds of smaller troop transports, all of which were oval in shape and carrying about twenty soldiers apiece.

And then, in the center of this cluster of ships totaling three combined fleets, drifted the main ship itself. A massive saucer resembling the exact same design as Lord Cooler's capital ship, complete with circular hull dotted with yellow anti-gravity domes, blue viewing windows, white and black armor plating, and a purple tinted canopy at the head of the ship, which shielded the control room from the rays of the system's two large stars. To see this vessel appear in the sky over any inhabited planet struck a sort of terror that many races had ever had the privilege of experiencing, as seeing this ship float in over the horizon almost spelled certain doom for all who gazed upon it.

It was on this very large and majestic saucer, positioned at the very forefront of the bridge, was the big man himself.

Assumed in his signature _First Suppression Form_\- or Third Restricted form- adorned in purple RIT armor with brown accents, black spandex and pink scouter, the young tyrant could be seen standing at attention and gazing out over the endless, star-dotted veil of the cosmos ahead of him, as well as the large, purple curvature of his capital world below. Behind the pink and white alien with horns, there also stood his two trusted commanders- Zarbon and Dodoria- and behind them about half a dozen men stationed at the numerous monitors scattered around the bridge.

And finally, the last person on the bridge, standing directly beside his father and looking to be just over half his parent's height, was Frieza's son- **Kuriza**.

Assumed in a form resembling his dad's First Form- minus the elder's black horns- complete with pink ribbed skin, white carapace plates, and an armored head shaped like a chestnut with a purple jewel in the center, the young warrior in the white RIT armor could be seen gazing in awe at the planet and armada before him. His little red eyes glancing from every corner of the viewing window, the young man with the small nose was and oddly shaped head was now doing everything he could to stop from running right up to the glass and pressing his face against it- as it would be considered improper of him to do so in the presence of his dad's subordinates.

So, against all of his better instincts, the child remained where he was- stubbornly glued to the floor of the ship's control room.

Of course, the sight didn't stop Dodoria and Zarbon from looking at each other and sharing a small chuckle.

"Excited little scamp, isn't he?" the burly, pink warrior with the studded limbs and wearing the purple armor remarked under his breath. "You can tell how overwhelmed he is by all of this."

"Well, his father does command the greatest force on this side of the universe," the commander with the green hair tied into a ponytail also commented, before quickly looking back towards the duo by the viewing port. "You should've seen the look on my face when I saw Cold-sama's forces for the first time."

"Heh. I bet you looked pretty hilarious," Dodoria snickered.

The pair made sure to keep their voices as low as possible. Considering how loud the hum of the computers and other machinery echoing around the room was, the two warrior were positive that they were alright.

After all, had Frieza heard them, he probably would've either shot a glare at them or a Death Beam. Since neither of those had yet to happen, Zarbon and Dodoria could rest easy.

Upon allowing an ample amount of time for his little boy to properly absorb everything laid out before him, Frieza turned his head and smiled down at him. "So what do you think, son? Are you impressed?"

Placing his hands behind his back and taking a deep breath to compose himself, the smaller child looked up at his father and smiled back- mimicking his dad's expression. "Yes, father. Most assuredly." He then quickly looked back out at the armada floating in front of them. "So… all of these ships… all of these planets… and all of these soldiers…" He added to this by looking behind him at the men in the control room with them, "… they belong to you?"

"Yes," Frieza nodded, before then bringing one hand forward and pointing out the window across the planet's horizon. "Every single star you see in front of you is a vassal of my empire. It is the same empire that your grandfather owned, and the same one that your great, great, _great_ grandfather built and maintained for thousands of years. Everything that you see, touch and feel within reach of you, all lies underneath _my_ banner. And who knows, perhaps one of these days, after I've grown old and decrepit from centuries of rule, it might eventually belong to you too."

"Wow…" Kuriza exclaimed, at the same time shaking his head in disbelief.

Chuckling under his breath, the horned prince puffed his chest out. "There isn't a kingdom in any world or reality that can match the sheer might and strength of what I've built. In the years that've come and gone since your grandfather handed all of this over to me, I've expanded our borders, bolstered the army's numbers, and made new trade agreements with the worlds already under our control. Thanks to all sovereign worlds sending all of their resources and riches to us- even at the cost of their own wellbeing and livelihoods- our force has only grown more and more powerful. And it was all thanks to my ruthless methods that has allowed this kingdom to flourish." Judging from the look in the man's eyes, it was clear he was overflowing with pride at his accomplishments. "No other emperor in our history has ever seen the organization become such a powerhouse."

Blinking when he heard his father say all of this, Kuriza then looked up at the ruler curiously. "You mean… the people on our worlds… are giving up their own food, their manpower, and wealth to you… and your army?" When he saw his father nod, the boy appeared momentarily taken aback. "Aren't… aren't those people going hungry?"

"Perhaps. But that's none of my concern. As long as the men directly connected to my force are well fed and well supplied, then we can continue our expansion across every other territory beyond our reach," Frieza stated, his tail swinging behind him excitedly as his eyes flashed with mischief. "I've now begun sending our main regiments on various campaigns to the southern quadrants of space. With my armies moving and growing at such an incredible rate, it's only a matter of time before we've dominated all the main, capital planets in that region. Not even those fools in the _Galactic Patrol_ will be able to stop us." Heck, he doubted they even wanted to try and stand in his way.

After so many wars with the _Galactic Kingdom_ and their meager enforcers, Frieza had practically all but claimed total and decisive victory over them.

"The secret to being emperor is to show no mercy to your enemies. Divide, swarm, and conquer all who stands before you, until there is nothing left to fight. Our force is the superior one and if there are any worlds out there who attempts to defy our rule, we will crush them. There is no room for other cultures in an empire- only one. And that is _mine_. One nation under me," Frieza informed, at the same time glancing down at his son to see the boy staring up at him nervously. "It's what my father taught me while I was growing up under his wing… and it's what you need to start learning right now, son."

Kuriza, after staring up at his smiling father for several moments, then frowned in confusion. "B-But… uncle Cooler said that we don't need to use armies to take control of worlds. He said that a _true_ leader would take his time to talk with the people, listen to them, accept their differences, and embrace their cultures. That way he can let the empire grow on its own." Even upon seeing his father frown, the youngster turned to his dad with a determined look on his face. "His kingdom is filled with so many great places to explore. Not like the boring cities we have everywhere, where everyone looks and dresses the same. There are so many people living happily and healthily in his-"

Not willing to hear another word, Frieza quickly cut off his son. "Your uncle is a soft-hearted, pathetic, petty fool, who cares only about playing governor and cleaning the boots of lesser beings." The young prince then quickly glared back out through his window and crossed his arms. "He's got nothing of value in his territory. Nothing. Only dust balls of useful rock and primitives toiling the ground under his flag. His empire is a hodgepodge of dirty cretins and beasts, while my force is made up of only the finest stock- the best of the best." Frieza then glanced back down at his boy, who he saw deflate a little at his comments. "You'd be wise not to follow in his footsteps son."

Lowering his head slightly, Kuriza then said in a low voice. "B-But I like hanging out with uncle. He's always kind to me… and he tells me so many cool stories…"

Frieza turned once again and spoke in a lower voice. "Your uncle is not to be trusted. If you knew about how much of a dirty snake and a rat my brother actually is… and if you heard about all of the things he did in the past, you would see for yourself how much of a pathetic cur he actually is. You wouldn't want to have anything to do with him." Reaching out with his hand, the father set it against his boy's shoulder and gave it a pat. "Put everything you think you know about your uncle out of your mind, son. Everything my brother's said to you over the years is nothing but lies and petty feebleness… and it needs to be forgotten. Trust only yourself. Strength in yourself and your forces is all that is needed, as overwhelming power is the simplest and easiest way to success. Understand?"

Opening his mouth a couple of times, as if trying to find a means of protesting, upon seeing the look in his parent's eyes glaring down at him, the young Frost Demon quickly lowered his head and gulped. He then cast his eyes down and nodded. "O… Ok-…"

Before the boy could finish uttering his response, an alarm from one of the control stations nearby suddenly blared out, interrupting the father and son from their time together. With the young emperor and his subordinates all looking in the direction of the monitor, they saw the guard in the RIT armor and helmet suddenly begin typing furiously across the keypad and isolate the disturbance.

"Long range proximity sensors have been triggered," the soldier called out, flickering over the multiple images on his screen before quickly putting it up onto the main monitor. When the rest of the soldiers on the deck and Frieza looked up towards the massive glass panel above the control station, they saw a red and black sonar render of their fleet's position orbiting the capital planet. Upon giving a quick assessment of the feedback they were receiving, the soldier turned around and addressed his superiors. "Multiple signatures inbound, sir! Dozens of large objects have just entered our space from sector four. Distance- nine hundred kilometers and closing fast."

Zarbon, quickly moving forward to assess the information for himself, stopped beside the soldier's station and peered over his shoulder at the computer. "Can you identify? What are they?" the green-haired warrior asked with a serious expression in play. "Enemy ships? Projectiles?"

"No sir. Meteorites. Lots of them," the soldier exclaimed, quickly typing into the computer as he began crunching the numbers flying his way. "The computer calculates they will be passing right through the middle of our fleet's formation inside of the next two minutes."

Frowning in displeasure, Frieza turned to the soldiers stationed around the bridge. "Order all ships to fire all weapons on those meteorites. I want those rocks obliterated and turned to dust before they come within sight of my vessel."

"At once, your highness," another soldier at the computers responded, before quickly engaging the radio and speaking up through the transmitter. "All ships- incoming space debris. Ready all weapons and focus fire in the direction of the shower. Coordinates 7-9-2-0-7. Range- seven hundred kilometers and closing. This is a direct order from Emperor Frieza. Fire for effect. I say again. Fire for effect. Over."

Looking out the window, the prince, his son, and his two commanders, then watched as every saucer and attack transport within sight of their bridge's main viewing window shifted into a more defensive formation around the lead vessel. With all their available guns and turrets all aiming in the same direction, away from the emperor's capital planet, the entire fleet then paused for a moment as they waited for the targets to come within range of their guns.

A few seconds later, multiple flashes then filled the window as every single battery and torpedo launcher began lobbing energy bolts into space at virtually the same time. From his position beside his father, Kuriza watched in awe as the streaks of golden and pink light tore across the vacuum at blinding speed and into the distance, where he then saw explosions begin filling the blackness. The entire bridge of Frieza's ship watched through video feed as the enormous boulders and meteorites tumbling towards them were ripped to shreds by the energy bolts and blown apart.

The barrage of laser and torpedo fire continued for a full minute. When all signatures on the scanners eventually vanished from the screens, all guns stopped firing at once, leaving the entire space hanging dead silent once more. Seeing the fire, smoke, and dust choke the recording on the main monitor and all numbers come up as zero, the soldier that'd been instructed to radio coordinates and instructions gave one last assessment of the situation, before eventually turning back around toward his superiors.

"Field is clear. All meteorite signatures have vanished. Targets destroyed," the yellow alien in white RIT armor and helmet reported confidently.

Frieza smirked at the efficiency displayed by his navy, "Excellent."

On his side of the bridge, Dodoria couldn't help but chuckle. "Now that was one hell of a lightshow out there. Gotta give those gunner boys on those ships some extra credit."

"I'll say," Zarbon remarked as well, hand on his hip as he smiled out the window. "Good shooting."

With the all-clear given, all personnel posted on the ship's bridge could rest at ease, knowing that the danger had passed. However, about several seconds after the instruments had gone silent, a second alarm suddenly rang out as another signature appeared on the screens. Due to the unexpectedness of the alert, the soldiers at the station barely had enough time to engage their monitors before a female soldier on the far end of the line shouted.

"Conn! Radar! New contact! Incoming meteorite!" the reptilian alien girl shouted, wheeling about after throwing the feedback onto the main screen overhead to show a new green dot had blown past their previous projected path. "Object has torn a path right over our fleet's defensive line. We must have missed one!"

Zarbon clenched his teeth, "Talk to me. What's its heading?"

"Single meteorite and small debris cluster, bearing 7-9-2-0-1! Range- fifty miles and closing! It's heading right for us!" the same female shouted, the alarms blaring around them increasing in volume as a new series of emergency alerts were triggered. "Impact imminent! Starboard side!"

Clenching his fists, a now fully alert Dodoria shouted at the men at the computers while Frieza glared at them in annoyance. "Raise the shields! Full power! Brace for impact!"

Almost immediately the soldiers executed these orders, a loud hum filling the room as the ship's engines and machinery roared into life. With all of its outboard field generators firing up to full burn, the entire vessel soon became surrounded by a transparent field of barely visible energy, which flickered into view around the vessel just in time to meet the first wave of rocks that began pelting the ship from the side.

After the smaller bits of debris and rubble flying towards the vessel were effectively incinerated by the shield, the bombardment was soon followed by the big one itself. Traveling at such a high speed through the vacuum that it was nothing but a blur, the large, grey rock smashed right through the transparent barrier and slammed into the side of the saucer. Its collision caused a loud bang to resonate throughout the cruiser as it punctured through its metal hull and into its very center.

The force of the rock striking the capital ship was so great that it not only sent a cloud of metal and smoke gushing out of the hole it formed, it also caused the entire saucer to lurch to the side. Almost immediately, the impact alarms on board Frieza's mobile headquarters began to blare throughout the ship, with all of the officers and soldiers scattered throughout the surrounding fleet looking absolutely flabbergasted that their emperor's ship- the brain and command center of their massive armada- had ended up getting hit.

As steam and gas gushed out of several pipes lining the ceiling of the control room and multiple red lights started flashing around him, an incredibly displeased Frieza turned to the soldier that'd initially given the all clear and glared at him. "Report."

Said soldier slowly turned to face the prince, gulping nervously when he saw the tyrant's eyes on him. "The ship has suffered a hull breach on the starboard side. Compartments twenty three through twenty nine are damaged. The meteor in question is currently embedded in a wall inside of corridor twelve. Structural integrity is normal, emergency shutters have sealed up the gap, and troops are moving in to assess the damage," the yellow alien with the sharp teeth spoke, before lowering his head. "I'm sorry, sir. I take full responsibility for this."

"Really?" Frieza replied, before casually raising his right hand, pointing his finger, and firing a _Death Beam_ straight through the soldier's chest. All the poor subordinate could do was let out a choked cry of pain, before he eventually dropped to his knees and slammed into the floor face-first, dead. Ignoring the stunned looks from his commanders and other soldiers, the tyrant then lowered his arm and glared across at the next soldier in line. "I expect to hear word of that rock being removed from my ship within the next five minutes. If not, more heads will roll. Understand?"

At that moment, there wasn't a single soldier on that bridge who wanted to answer back to their emperor, saying that such a task would be impossible. All they could do was hit the monitors and order all men near the vicinity to go investigate.

During which time, Kuriza, who had just witnessed his father execute a man right in front of him, could only look between the simmering body and his dad fearfully- as this was clearly something he had not been expecting to happen.

"We've got a live recording from one of the soldier's scouters of the crash site. Relaying the video feed now," one of the troopers at the control station spoke up, before pressing the keys that brought said feed up onto the main screen overlooking the bridge.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Corridor 12)

On the starboard side of the vessel towards the back, down one of the multitude of large hallways forming a maze inside the bowels of Frieza's capital shop, a squad of about eight aliens of various species wearing different sets of naval armor, were currently converging on the site of the problem. While the holes formed in the walls of the ship had been effectively sealed shut thanks to the compartments being locked down by several sets of automatic, emergency shutters, there still remained the problem of the meteorite itself. The subject of which could be found embedded in the steel wall, blocking off passage through the hall.

Having arranged themselves into no particular formation, the squad of warriors with scouters stopped just in reach of the shadow of the massive, smoldering rock that'd smashed into the ship at Kami knows how fast. Though the entire surface of the boulder was charred and simmering, from what the soldiers could make of the area surrounding the piece of space debris, there didn't appear to be any other bits of rock. Just chunks of twisted, shredded metal, courtesy of the rock itself carving through the vessel like a massive bullet.

Ignoring the damaged rows of lights flickering above the slab of stone and around them, the soldier at the front of the formation- a human-looking male wearing purple spandex, full, blue RIT armor, and a helmet connected to a purple wrist blaster- waved away the smoke wafting up into his face as he cautiously moved forward. "Woo-man… that stink… geez…" Pinching his nose with his gloved left hand, Raspberry groaned as he attempted to move a bit closer to the wall of rock towering in front of him. "What in the hell is that?"

"My guess- either volcanic rock or brimstone," the crocodile-looking alien standing beside the trooper- Blueberry- remarked in a croaky voice as he too approached the giant rock. His nose visibly crinkling as he got a face full of the fumes, the yellow eyed, green scaled lizard scoffed. "So… our main job right now is getting rid of this thing? Any ideas on how we're going to do that exactly?"

"Well… I was going to suggest blasting the hell out of it until it's nothing but a pile of rubble, but that would leave an even bigger mess to clean up," Raspberry answered, looking the thing over while his left arm remained pressed over his face- covering his nose. Flinching when a wave of heat from the simmering meteorite washed over him and a jet of steam rushed out of the crack wall, the humanoid warrior wisely took a couple of steps back. "Hm. How about jettisoning it out the garbage lock? Send it back out into space?"

"Good idea. And how the fuck are we supposed to haul this thing all the way down to the maintenance room?" Blueberry followed up, moving closer and being careful not to trip on any bits of metal. Joining his comrade, the reptilian warrior grunted. "This thing is freakin' massive. I doubt it's going to fit down the hallway, let alone through the door."

As the rest of the soldiers behind them also moved in closer, Raspberry tilted his head at the rock and smirked. "I guess that's where the blasting comes in. We can just whittle it down to a smaller size and then roll it out of here," the man suggested, swinging his right arm up and activating his blaster. As the unit buzzed, indicating it was charging, the humanoid warrior then began dialing in the settings necessary for the task at hand. A big grin then crossed his lips. "Oh yeah. This'll work just fine."

Blueberry meanwhile smirked broadly, as he too brought up his blaster and activated it. "Now that's some actionable intelligence I can get behind." As soon as both soldiers had their blasters cocked and loaded, they then took a step back and aimed their arms towards the steaming monolith of stone before them. "This is the part of the job that I really, really love. Shooting stuff."

Just as the duo Raspberry and Blueberry were preparing to open fire on the meteorite, one of the troopers standing behind them with his visor pulled over his face then perked up when he noticed something. "Hold up, guys. Do you hear something?"

His question prompting the eager pair at the front of the formation to glance behind them, both soldiers then lowered their weapons and powered them down. Doing so allowed a tense silence to fill the air, which enabled all of the soldiers gathered in that hallway to pick up the distinct sound of low crunching and thudding sounds reverberating off of the walls.

Initially confused by the noises and where they were coming from, the group then heard the sound getting louder, which drew all of their eyes towards the side of the big meteorite leaning against the wall in front of them.

Upon sharing a look with his teammate, Blueberry then crept forward. "Yeah. It's coming from that big rock." Moving in through the smoke and noticing that the heat had finally died down, the crocodile soldier then looked the rock up and down as he came within arm's reach of it. His friend Raspberry joined him, with the pair moving their ears forward to hear the thudding sounds growing fainter and fainter. As a result, the reptilian soldier frowned. "What the heck is that?"

As the six other aliens in battle armor were watching cautiously from several paces away, the one in the back who was recording the entire thing through his scouter for his superiors up on the ship's bridge, suddenly saw a set of numbers spring up on his screen. His device beeping in his ear, the man's eyes suddenly bugged out when he saw the results suddenly spike at an astronomical rate- seconds before a warning alarm went off in his ear.

Seeing the red alert light flashing next to the numbers, the green amphibian soldier thrust a hand out and shouted in panic, "HEY! GET BACK! THERE'S SOMETHING INSIDE THAT THING!"

The moment Blueberry and Raspberry glanced back at the terrified soldier, the side of the rock in front of the confused soldiers suddenly exploded in a shower of rock. At the same time a large hand swiftly shot out and grabbed the crocodile alien by the throat. All Blueberry could do as the clawed hand clamped down around his neck was let out a choked cry of surprise, before he was suddenly yanked forward, off his feet, and pulled through the newly made hole in the meteor.

In response, a greatly shocked Raspberry leapt back as fast as he could. When he rejoined his startled comrades, all seven troopers then watched and listened in abject horror as the sounds of Blueberry's bloody screams echoed out from inside the rock, all of which were accompanied by the sickening sounds of bones crunching and flesh tearing. Through the pitch black of the inside of the rock, the man's terrified cries became strangled as what sounded like his guts being torn out silenced his pain. Then, after a few seconds of loud chewing and growling filtered out from the large chunk of space debris, everything went deathly quiet.

Almost all at once, the trembling, terrified soldiers of the Frieza Force immediately activated their blasters and pointed them squarely at the hole in the meteor. With sweat visibly pouring down their faces, the men in armor slowly backed up and away from the rock- uncertain of what was going to happen next.

It was then, through the flashing, broken lights of the hole and the dark of the small cavern, the group of seven warriors saw a pair of glowing, red eyes suddenly appear. A split second later, there was a low growl, before whatever the eyes were attached to sprang out of the hole and charged right at them in a blur.

The soldiers were only able to get a few shots off from their blasters before whatever it was crashed into them and began tearing them apart. Their screams of terror were effectively silenced as bits of body parts and blood splattered across the walls of the hallway, as the creature that'd rushed at them practically transformed them into a pile of limbs with its claws.

Within a matter of seconds, all eight squad members were dead.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Up on the bridge of Frieza's ship, upon seeing the video feed of the crew confronting the meteorite go black, the group of soldiers and commanders watching the screen could only gape in disbelief. Even Frieza, who was initially appearing quite impatient, felt his jaw drop after seeing that big, black whatever it was, jump out of the meteor and tear through his troops in the blink of an eye.

Heck, the soldiers that were stationed at the monitors thought they had blinked, as whatever it was they'd been witnessing had happened so damn fast. The next thing they all knew, they were staring at a now blank screen, with a message reading 'scouter transmission error' flashing in the corner of it.

After several moments of deathly, terrified silence perforated the air inside the command center of the ship, Zarbon then blinked as he was quickly brought back to ground. "W-What the hell was that?"

Dodoria, gulping nervously, shook his head. "I… I don't know." He then quickly looked across at his green-haired comrade. "But did you see the numbers that jumped up on the screen before the video cut out? I swear the scouter blew past the nine-hundred thousand mark."

"That's impossible," Zarbon retorted, before looking back at his companion with an expression of disbelief and panic. "There isn't a creature in the universe with a power level _that_ high. Even Captain Ginyu is only a hundred and twenty thousand, and he's the second strongest warrior on the force." The man shook his head. "There must've been some kind of glitch."

"B-But… if that feedback was correct…" one of the soldiers at the monitors stuttered while turning around. "Then… that thing had a power level greater than Lord Frieza's."

Before anyone else on that bridge could make any sort of remarks, either for or against the numbers that they'd seen, emergency alarms suddenly began ringing out across the vessel. As the sounds of loud metal clanging and blaster fire also began to echo out, the screams of multiple men and women started blaring from the bridge's speakers. When the soldiers at the computers quickly turned to their monitors and began isolating the signals, the chaos starting to unravel across the capital ship soon began making itself all too clear.

"_**W-What the fuck is that thi-GAAAAH!"**_

"_**Kill it! Kill it! Shoot the bloody thing!"**_

"_**GRAAAAGH!"**_

"_**We can't stop it!"**_

"_**Man down! Man do-AUGH!"**_

"_**Where the hell is it?!"**_

"_**Corridor 10! Repeat! It's just entered Corridor 10!"**_

"_**It's coming for us! Run! Run!"**_

"_**It's too fast!"**_

"_**HELP UUUUSS-GRAAGH!"**_

As the chatter started pouring into the control room from the multiple soldiers crying out over their scouters, Frieza- not wanting his ship to succumb to whatever cretin had invaded it- turned to the alarmed Zarbon and Dodoria and shouted at them.

"Send a platoon down to Corridor 8! I want them to intercept that beast and kill it before it gets to the bridge!" Frieza ordered, watching as Dodoria immediately engaged the radio on his scouter. When the prince saw his general do so, he then turned to the soldiers at the monitors and barked his next instructions at them. "Lock down all the hallways and patch us into the security feed! I want to see what the hell is going on!"

OOO

(Seconds later)

The pounding of footsteps echoed throughout the corridor as an entire squadron of soldiers led by Appule went sprinting down Corridor 7 to rendezvous with the soldiers at 8. As soon as they passed through the automatic doors and into the hallway itself, almost every single man and woman in the group fanned themselves out across the passageway. Those at the front dropped down to their knees while those furthest to the sides hugged the walls.

The sounds of buzzing filled the air as the detachment of about twenty fresh soldiers armed their blasters and charged energy blasts in their hands, all of which they then aimed down the length of the corridor that was the direction the creature was last spotted. Once all of them were in position, the crew up on the bridge responded by shutting the blast doors behind them, the barrier dropping down from above and locking itself into the floor with a loud clang.

With the gate shut, the soldiers in that hallway then waited with baited breath and stiff limbs as the sounds of battle up ahead echoed towards them.

The screams and shouts of their frantic brothers in arms bounced off of the surrounding walls, along with the distinct sounds of blaster fire and hand-to-hand fighting. After several seconds of listening to the chaos unfolding beyond their line of sight, the platoon assembled in that wide, open corridor then heard the effects of battle disappear. Moments later, the lights over their heads flickered a few times, before promptly going out.

Hearing the power system to their section of the ship shut down alarmed a couple of the troops formed up in that corridor, with Appule spinning around and looking back at the nervous faces of his men.

"Steady, men. Steady," the long-headed alien spoke.

"Th-The lights are gone," one of the men behind him stuttered.

"I can't see a thing!"

"What do we do?!"

"Easy," Appule hissed, silencing the rest of the panicked exclamations as he looked between the men and women arranged over his shoulder. "Don't worry. We've got the numbers. We've got the guns. As soon as that thing comes around the corner, we'll blast it to hell."

Watching as the troopers closest to him all nodded their heads nervously, the group then quickly snapped their eyes back around when the loud clanging of metal echoed nearby. Blasters cocking and hands loading, the soldiers then steeled themselves and tightened their stances as the scouter units in their helmets and over their ears activated. In that instant, all of the lenses quickly became filled with targeting arrows and numbers, all of which beeped and flickered across their screens as they began scanning the dark of the hallway ahead of them.

Unbeknownst to them, their actions and battle formation was being observed by the commanders on the bridge, all through the cameras built into their helmets and the ship's walls.

The men and women held their breaths, listening to the sounds of steel creaking and scouters beeping. Though they had no idea what kind of monster was tearing through their ship and looming somewhere up ahead, since there were so many of them boxed into this one corridor, the platoon was positive that they would be able to overwhelm it with sheer numbers.

For a full minute the detachment waited- watching to see if something or someone would appear from the darkness in front of them. When the scouters in front of their eyes beeped a warning, telling them that something had just entered their range, every single soldier in the vicinity braced themselves.

Then, like a scene from a horror movie, from the darkness choking up the aforementioned junction, the group suddenly saw the lights flicker on and off. This in turn illuminated a figure, who they instantly spotted standing just a few yards in front of Appule and the rest of the squad. The silhouette of a tall, slim, humanoid creature, with powerful looking legs, arms, two horns sweeping backwards on their head, a tail lined with spines, and a pair of large, dragon-like wings fanning out from their back, caused the entire squadron to recoil in shock.

Almost as soon as the lights flickered on they switched back off, concealing the figure in darkness once again, before a pair of bright red eyes surrounded by yellow sclera opened.

When the soldiers momentarily lowered their weapons out of shock at seeing the beast standing so close to them, a stumped Appule quickly raised his hand and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"OPEN FIRE!"

All at once, every single warrior crammed into that tight hallway let loose a hail of lasers and blasts into the darkness. Golden and pink energy bolts tore down the corridor with the intent of tearing through their target. But as soon as the soldiers began shooting into the blackness, a sharp mass suddenly shot forward and impaled Appule right through his chest and out his back on the other side.

A wave of blood splattering across the floor and over the soldiers behind the purple alien caused the troopers behind the sergeant to momentarily stop. When they gaped across at their superior, they saw the stunned Appule cough up more blood, before the tail that'd pierced through his body swung him up into the air, slammed him into the ceiling, and then slammed him into the floor. Loud bangs and cries of agony echoed out from the hapless alien, whose scouter flew off of his face, a split second before he was then dragged into the darkness. His screams of terror were effectively silenced by the sickening sounds of flesh ripping.

As the soldiers continued to blast away into the corridor, they suddenly saw the creature leap towards them from the black and tackle the two soldiers at the front. Slamming them into the floor with enough force to form two small divots, crushing them and killing them instantly, the silhouette of their attacker then lashed out at the troopers around them. With a quick swipe of its tail, the beast struck two men into the wall, watching as their armored bodies crashed into the barrier and splattered against it. Flapping one of its wings out allowed it to knock three more men over and send them tumbling down the corridor, with one of them getting knocked out.

When several ki blasts and laser bolts struck the creature and bounced off of it uselessly, the reptilian monster then suddenly lunged towards two of the soldiers, performed a graceful spin, and slammed a clawed foot into their chest. The fiend managed to speedily slam that person into the wall and bury her into it, crushing and killing the female alien instantly.

As the remaining troopers continued to unload on the beast, hitting it with ki blast after ki blast, all they could do was watch in disbelief as every round they fired was shrugged off by the fiend. Every shot they launched either struck and dissipated against the monster's scales or bounced off of it, as if the creature had the sloped armor of a tank. After several more laser bolts ricocheted off of the unknown alien's hide while it lunged at two more soldiers- carving through one with their clawed foot while cutting the other in half with a single chop of its hand, the soldiers standing in the back of the formation knew it was useless.

Two of them ceased fire and desperately ran towards the door, where they threw themselves against the barrier and started banging against the wall in a vain attempt to get it to open through force. A third soldier then attempted to open it via the control panel to the right, but the system had locked them out.

As the rest of the men and women continued shooting at the black whirlwind of bloody death darting between them, the troopers at the gate attempted to make contact to the other side.

"HEY! HELP US!" one of the troopers shouted.

"OPEN THIS DAMN DOOR! OPEN IT!" the second one screamed.

"IT'S TOO STRONG! LET US OUT! PLEASE!"

About a few seconds later, after the shadowy beast cut and beat down the remaining soldiers in a variety of brutal manners- throwing them into the wall, impaling them, or slicing through them with its claws- it then darted straight toward the three men at the door. When they turned around to shoot at it, the creature barreled through their blaster fire and tackled them, butchering them just like it had the rest of the soldiers.

After the door and surrounding walls became covered with blood and entrails, the beast then turned to the sealed entrance blocking its way. Assuming a more balanced stance, the creature then reared back its head, threw it forward, and unleashed a thick torrent of lava-like energy from its mouth, which struck the barrier and tore right through it, effortlessly melting the ten inches of metal in a single breath.

With the obstacle removed, the creature charged right through the dripping gateway, before continuing to tear a path of carnage throughout the rest of the vessel.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Back on the bridge, after witnessing the creature make quick and efficient work of the squad sent to dispatch it, the commanders of the Frieza Force found themselves shaken to the core. Upon witnessing such a vicious display of monstrous strength and bloody combat proficiency against what would've otherwise been a sure-kill situation, Zarbon and Dodoria were almost immediately put on guard.

As the soldiers at the computer terminals continued to monitor the monster's progress as it tore its way through the ship and the enemy forces that stood in its way, the scouters onboard the vessel then started throwing a multitude of numbers to the command post. Due to the creature's ongoing rampage, the scanners were able to get an accurate bead on the strength and power it was exerting.

When Frieza and his subordinates saw the results flicker up on the big screen, at the same time watching the shadowy monstrosity run through several more men and women that it managed to corner, all of them were stunned by what they saw.

"That… That can't be possible," Zarbon exclaimed, shaking his head as beads of cold, terrified sweat ran down his face.

"Am I reading that right? Does that monster have a power level over twenty million?" Dodoria asked, as he glanced down at the soldiers gaping at their monitors. "Hey! Tell me that isn't right!"

"We triple-checked the scanners and recalibrated the systems several times, sir!" the female trooper called back, before spinning around to face the terrified commanders gathered behind her. "Even after the meteorite hit, they're all working perfectly. That creature has a battle power of approximately twenty five million… maybe even higher."

"Damn it. Its energy signature is jumping all over the place. I can't get a lock on it," another crew member called from the other side of the terminal as he jammed his fingers into the keys as he attempted to track the beast through the hallways. Watching it rip open a door with its bare hands and rush in to meet the soldiers waiting for it on the other side, the deck officer clenched his teeth nervously when he saw fire gush out of the room. "Every time the alien relocates, its energy level drops to conceal its movements. It keeps moving from compartment to compartment at random. I can't coordinate the men."

It was then a growl from behind caused all of the people on the bridge to flinch worriedly, as all eyes quickly turned to see Frieza reach up, grab the scouter over his ear, and toss it. "All of you men are useless! Unable to handle an insignificant pest that has invaded my ship! And you call yourself my soldiers?"

Kuriza, who was observing all of the events unfolding around him in clear, abject terror, looked across at his dad with an uncertain look in his eyes. "F-Father?"

Glancing across at his son but not so much as dignifying his obvious question with a response, the young emperor then clenched his teeth. "I'll go take care of that thing myself!" Bringing his arm up and curling his fingers into a fist, the alien tyrant then began concentrating his power to begin his transformation sequence. "It's not every day I get to sully my hands with grunt work. But I guess if you want to have a job done right, then you have to kill it yourself!"

Before Zarbon, Dodoria or anybody else on that bridge could mount any form of protest against their leader's sudden willingness to get himself involved, another alarm at the computer terminals was suddenly activated. The noise drawing the attention of all the people on the bridge, everyone turned to the central computer where a humanoid warrior was posted.

Bringing the alert up onto his screen, the armored warrior spun around in his seat. "Sire! We're detecting a massive object emerging from hyperspace!"

The female soldier blinked at the reading she was getting on her screen. "What the hell is it?"

Almost a split second after the woman's question was asked, right outside the viewing window of Frieza's ship, the young emperor and his subordinates suddenly saw a massive, black planetoid the size of a moon suddenly appear right in the path of the force's fleet. Smashing through several of the ships and obliterating them upon entry into the system, the second the mobile, grey satellite emerged from its light speed travel, it immediately began bombarding the fleet with blaster fire from the hundreds and hundreds of energy cannons lining its crust.

Golden energy bolts began raining down upon Frieza's fleet, attacking the ships closest to it before beginning to mow through the rest of them. The salvo of rounds rained endlessly down on the ships, smashing through the ships and tearing them to shreds.

As the soldiers and crew on board the vessels scrambled to begin returning fire, the screams of thousands of people perishing began echoing over every single frequency within the Frieza Force's navy. Scouters all around went crazy as their numbers began to drop like stones, vanishing every time a ship was obliterated. It was like watching a car crash in slow motion- only this one took the form of a huge planetoid carving a path through a sea of tinier, more insignificant frigates and corvettes, all of which were being obliterated by the lasers pouring down on them.

The commanders on board Frieza's capital ship, which was also beginning to get hit by the energy bolts being fired from the planet barreling through their forces, heard the screams of their fleet's captains and commanders blare over the radio.

"_**What the fuck is that! Another planet?!"**_

"_**Return fire! Return fire!"**_

"_**It's no good!"**_

"_**Hit! We're hit!"**_

"_**Life support systems are down! We're losing pressure!"**_

"_**ALL CREW, ABANDON SHI-AAAAAAAGH-!"**_

Explosions and balls of fire filled the vacuum of space, as one by one a gaping Frieza, Zarbon and Dodoria watched as three whole battle groups were ripped asunder by the ungodly object that'd appeared from the cold depths of space. Kuriza too was horrified, unable to do anything but observe through the glass as the pride and joy of his father's military was wiped out before his very eyes.

But the worst was yet to come.

As the cannons dotting the planet continued to wreak havoc upon Frieza's mighty imperial military, from the hemisphere of the planetoid, a large metal tower suddenly protruded out of its micro-atmosphere and pointed towards the large planet below. As blue lights lit up around the massive, spire-like object and flickered along its surface, there was suddenly a brilliant, golden flash of light, followed by a yellow beam shooting out of the pillar and towards the world.

The laser punched through the planet's atmosphere and struck the city, which could be seen residing through the cloud layer below. When the golden beam impacted the planet, the entire surface of the world ruptured, as volcanic explosions and magma cracks appeared across its entire surface. Seconds later, the entire planet detonated, exploding into massive chunks of rubble and sending fire gushing out in all directions. Despite being a controlled blast, the resulting shockwaves battered the remainder of Frieza's fleet, disabling all of the craft attempting to get away from the black planet that'd teleported into their vicinity.

With Frieza's ship also being rocked by the sudden explosion, all the young emperor could do was try to keep his balance as the entire vessel was sent tilting to one side.

Moments after the shaking and vibrations subsided, the crew on the bridge suddenly saw the massive monitor overhead become filled with static. After a brief instant of white noise, the screen was suddenly filled with a new image.

This one was the image of golden throne lined with red velvet and a dark, hooded figure of an elderly looking man sitting in the middle of the screen. When he appeared from the grainy image of the video feed being transmitted directly into Frieza's vessel, the young lord and his commanders could only look up at the screen with mixtures of anger, uncertainty and fear.

Through the chaos of the explosions and the static dancing across the video screen, the hooded figure spoke in a deep, gravelly voice. _**"This is Lord Slug of the Planetoid Dreadnaught Eclipse-I…"**_ the stranger began as a foul smirk crossed his lips. _**"All members of the Frieza Force are ordered to surrender… for immediate… execution." **_A long pause soon followed, in which time the hooded individual quickly brought up an oxygen delivery mask, breathed in deeply through it, before lowering it and coughing to clear his throat. _**"This is a direct command… from the great, immortal ruler of the new Dark Empire."**_

Frieza, completely dumbfounded by the audacity of this individual, stepped forward and snarled. "What did you just say, you insolent worm?" the young prince growled, at the same time raising his fist. "You… a mangy vagrant and self-proclaimed warlord, dare enter _my_ space, attack _my_ fleet, and threaten _my_ men… and have the nerve to give them orders?! Who the hell do you think you are?!"

When the old man in the hooded cloak visibly grinned at hearing the emperor's retort, one of the soldiers at the command desk turned towards his superior and addressed him accordingly. "Sire. I'm picking up multiple life forms inhabiting that mobile planetoid dreadnaught- including his. It's…" the man gulped nervously at what he was about to say. "His battle power… it's sitting at nearly a hundred million, sire."

Cocking an eyebrow at that, Frieza bit his teeth together. "So… you've invaded my system with the intention of challenging me and my forces with your own? Is that it?" A smile tugged at his lips. "I can only assume that's what this is from the amount of energy you're exuding. Though if I'm being completely honest… it's significantly lacking compared to mine."

A low laugh left the hooded man's throat, along with a bout of coughs. _**"Challenge you? A fine joke," **_the stranger replied in a mocking tone, drawing a twitch from the young tyrant's eye. _**"Your forces are hardly a challenge to me, oh mighty Lord Frieza. If you haven't noticed already… *cough*… my dreadnaught has wiped out most of your entire battle fleet… including the crown jewel of your empire. Now that I've cleared away with the chaff, it's only a matter of time before… *cough*… I wipe out you and your vessel as well."**_

Frieza clicked his tongue while his subordinates watched and listened to the pair nervously. "Then what's stopping you, if I may ask?"

A sickly grin stretched across Lord Slug's cracked lips. _**"Since your forces have been thoroughly crushed- and because I'm a man of small mercies- I have opened up communication channels for a one and only chance to discuss your terms of surrender."**_ This statement caused a very strong chill to fill the bridge of Frieza's capital ship. It was exactly the kind of response the opposing ruler wanted to make, which he quickly capitalized on with the following words. _**"You are to hand all galaxies, systems, and assets under your control directly over to me, and throw yourself, your father, and your ship into the nearest star."**_ Lord Slug finished with another smile towards the prince through the monitor. _**"Death is no disgrace, my lord."**_

The horned tyrant's tail whipped behind him as a clearly infuriated look flashed through the emperor's eyes. "A tempting offer from a lowly cretin. And if I refuse?"

Taking another deep breath through his oxygen delivery mask and lowering it back to his side with a groan, the green faced warlord then chuckled. _**"Then... *cough*... I will just have to take your son."**_

Eyes widening, Frieza's gaze snapped towards his boy over by the window. When the man saw the terrified look flash over the youngster's face, he then heard a loud banging of metal nearby, which quickly drew the prince's attention towards the entrance to the bridge, which he had locked down. The moment his and everyone else's eyes locked onto the door, they immediately saw the barrier have several dents form into it from something trying to get in on the other side.

It was only after a couple more loud bangs rang out and the metal frame around the blast doors cracked that Frieza, Zarbon, Dodoria and the others realized that it was the monster from the meteorite that was literally knocking on that door.

Another laugh from the still on screen Lord Slug echoed throughout the entire command center of the vessel. _**"Since you are choosing to make things difficult, I will have my 'Secret Weapon' claim my prize for the day. I do hope you will reconsider my offer, my lord. You won't get a second one."**_

Having had enough of this conversation, Frieza pointed his finger up at the monitor and fired a Death Beam at it, destroying the screen with a massive blast. As soon as he did, the tyrant then clenched his fists and powered up, his armor exploding off of his body as his entire form expanded, before eventually becoming surrounded by a fierce, purple aura.

As his energy kicked up around him at full blast and began to tear through the air around him, the emperor then watched through the haze of his transformation as Zarbon, Dodoria, and the men and women standing at the computer terminals quickly rushed into the path of the bridge's entrance. All of them taking up defensive positions in front of their lord, the collection of mixed aliens watched and waited through gritted teeth and extended hands as the door in front of them was pounded into again and again by the thing on the other side.

After a couple more sizable dents were made into its surface, making it look as though the barrier was about to be knocked over, the noises then suddenly stopped.

While Frieza continued his transformation behind his soldiers, sending gusts of fierce, hot wind rippling across the deck as bright, pink cracks formed across his carapace form, Zarbon and Dodoria shared an uncertain look with one another. When their eyes turned back to the door, they then braced themselves and waited for whatever it was on the other side to continue smashing itself against the entrance.

Kuriza meanwhile, unable to stand beside his dad as his energy levels skyrocketed to heights he'd never witnessed before, had chosen to hide himself beside the computer terminals. Finding a good fixture to shield himself, the boy with the nut-shaped head and red eyes peered from around the desk and watched in awe as his father and his commanders prepared for battle.

When Frieza's body exploded in a pillar of pink light, sending energy gushing into the ceiling, the tyrant underwent the final stages of his mindboggling transformation.

As for their intruder, they weren't in the mood for waiting any longer.

Another huge explosion rang across the bridge- this time from the blast door itself. Propelled by an ungodly force, the two warped, metal barriers that once stood in the archway were sent flying from the gate and bouncing across the deck at tremendous speed. Both the commanders and the soldiers were so unprepared for the sudden show of aggression that Zarbon, Dodoria, and their subordinates were hit by the metal slabs and sent tumbling to the floor. When they all crashed in separate locations across the bridge, most of them ended up knocked unconscious- the green warrior and his pink comrade included.

The instant the gate was knocked away, smoke came pouring out of the newly formed hole and into the room. Moments later, as Kuriza and a couple of the still miraculously conscious troopers peered up from their respective locations to see what had happened, they saw the shadowy figure of the beast come marching through the smog.

When the creature passed over the threshold and stopped just in front of the ruined gateway, all of the wounded warriors were quite stunned by what they saw. Standing at probably around six feet in height and looking incredibly intimidating, was a trim, powerful-looking reptilian humanoid, with reddish brown scales across their entire body, a tight waist, ample chest, a spiked tail whipping behind them, and a pair of large wings folded behind their back. With a head of orange spikes lining their cranium and going down their back, and possessing a very short snout, the creature with broad hips, talon-lined claws on both feet and hands, and bright red eyes that seemed to pierce through every living soul they fixated on, then scanned the area before them with vicious intent.

It was only after their inspection of the monster that Kuriza and the troopers on the bridge realized that this dragon-of-a-beast was actually female. And a rather attractive one no doubt, if you could look past the fact that she'd just slaughtered almost every single soldier onboard the vessel. The fact that she was only wearing a tight band across her large breasts and a black spandex thong only further accentuated her feminine appeal.

Upon assessing the command center, the reptilian creature then watched with casual intrigue as the pink dome of energy on the other side of the deck where Frieza was powering up, erupted with a deafening bang- punching a crater into the metal floor he was standing on and cracking the high ceiling above. As the brightness of the sphere eventually faded, it revealed the tyrant himself standing in place, bathed in a fierce aura, and assumed in his signature white and purple Final Form- a transformation very few individuals in history had ever witnessed.

Snarling as pink flames gushed from his small body, the young prince promptly swung his right arm up, took aim with his finger, and charged an attack. His red eyes, filled with rage and frustration, narrowed on his target standing in in line with the door.

"DIE, YOU MONSTER!" Frieza screeched.

Of course, he wasn't given the chance to make his anger known through action, as in the blink of an eye a blast of orange flames suddenly engulfed the tall, female dragon, who then flickered out of sight before reappearing directly in front of Frieza. She managed to cross the room so fast that not even the prince could track her, the sight of her form standing just a foot in front of him causing him to recoil in alarm.

The humanoid dragon, without hesitation and with an intense look of focus on their face, drew back their right hand, before smashing Frieza across the face with such force she not only caused his aura and attack to dispel, but also generated a shockwave so powerful it fractured the metal at their feet. As a result, the stunned, white lizard of an alien was thrown off his feet and sent flying into another line of computers on the other side of the bridge.

After the electronic station caved in under the weight of his body crashing through the steel, leaving the alien emperor lying in the smoldering, sparking metal in a daze and bleeding from his mouth, the female dragonoid wreathed in orange fire pouring from her body then dispelled her odd aura and frowned.

"Master said not to kill you. You're an important part to his plan," the dragon spoke in a soft, yet stern voice.

As Frieza gaped across at the opponent that had so casually knocked him down, he then watched said foe turn around and face the computer terminals opposite of him. Without another word, the female dragon extended her hand, which caused a somewhat hidden Kuriza's body to suddenly get taken over by an invisible force, before being telekinetically pulled from his spot. His tiny body flying through the air, the young, frightened son of the tyrant was effectively drawn into the dragon's hand, who caught him and slung him under her arm.

"No! No! L-Let me go! Put me down! Please!" the young alien shouted, his arms banging uselessly away at the limb crushing him against the dragon's side, with his tail also slapping against the girl's abs. But try as he might, the boy could not budge from the dragon's vice-like grip. "F-Father! Help me!"

Upon securing the squirming youngster, the female dragon turned and glared across at the stunned Frieza. "You have one week to comply with my master's demands… or you will never see your son again."

When Frieza attempted to pull himself out of the caved-in computer, and as Zarbon and Dodoria struggled to get to their feet, the female dragon suddenly fanned their wings out to full stretch, swung her left free hand over her shoulder, and fired a shockwave into the bridge's main window. The act of which shattered the glass and caused all of the pressure inside the room to get sucked out into the vacuum of space. The result was the female dragon being effectively pulled out the window at terrifying speed- with Kuriza in tow.

Allowing physics to carry her across the vacuum and through the debris field that was the remains of Frieza's desolated fleet, the female dragon then turned about in the vacuum and allowed her energy and wings to maneuver her towards her master's dreadnaught planet. Seeing the grey world hovering directly in front of her, the agent of the warlord guided herself towards it, dodging bits of metal and ruined space ships, before picking up speed on approach towards the atmosphere.

With the ship's emergency shield forming over the vessel's damaged window to seal up the hole, allowing atmosphere and pressure to return to the spaceship, Frieza- who had been thrown forward from the suction of the vacuum enacting upon the craft- scrambled to his feet and ran to the remains of his command center's window. By the time he reached the glass and threw a hand up against it, he could only watch helplessly as the space around the grey, mobile planet battleship shimmered, a split second before it suddenly bolted off into the great beyond.

The planet jumping off into hyperspace was marked by a loud boom, with the world leaving behind nothing but a vapor trail, a decimated Frieza Force armada, and a ruined planet.

The tyrant meanwhile, completely stumped by what'd just happened, gritted his teeth before pounding his fist against the cracked window in frustration.

"DAMN IT!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

And that just happened.

If you thought I was just going to focus on the done-to-death Vegeta battle, think again. I've remade Lord Slug into a more interesting warlord, so that he isn't just a carbon copy of King Piccolo anymore, but someone who can actually challenge Frieza and his family. So I've essentially given him the Baby treatment.

Basically we've reached the point where Gohan is ready to take on Frieza, but before he can do that, he needs to pass one more test before Cooler can give him the green light, and that will take the form of Lord Slug and his henchmen, including his Secret Weapon.

She is going to be my last OC for this fic. If you want to check out what she looks like, I posted a comic strip on my paetreon and deviantart. Let me know what you think.

XXX

Also, at this point I should do a spot check on the characters that have appeared so far on Gohan's adventure (in order).

**Dragonball Z Characters:** Characters that are exclusive to the DBZ universe, including several that people may not have heard of before.

-Raditz

-Nappa & Vegeta

-Cooler's Armored Squadron - Salza, Dore and Neiz

-Berryblue (DB Super)

-Kikono (DB Super)

-Turles Crusher Corp (Tree of Might)

-Turles (Tree of Might)

-King Cold

-Tarble (for all who don't know, he is Vegeta's brother, as seen in the OVA special)

-Baby (for anyone who hasn't watched GT, he is the first major antagonist and one of the most OP villains in DBZ history)

-Doctor Raichi/Hachiyack (from the Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans game exclusive)

-Dodoria & Zarbon

-Kuriza (identified as Frieza's son in the Neko Majin Z series)

-Frieza

-Lord Slug

**OC Characters:** Characters that I created to fill in certain roles in the story, including support.

-Myra (member of Cooler's Armored Squadron and the only major OC in the story that has a long term effect on Gohan)

-Kida, Rei and Riko (the kitsune trio)

-Lucoa (Lord Slug's secret weapon)

* * *

**Power levels:**

Frieza Force:

Zarbon - 23,000 (Base Form)

Dodoria - 22,000

Appule - 8000 to 10,000 (approximately)

Frieza's soldiers - 2000 (Average)

Frieza (First Form) - 530,000

Frieza (First Form) - 1,000,000

Frieza (Final Form - 6% full power) - 3,600,000

Frieza (Final Form - 50% full power) - 60,000,000

Kuriza (First Form) - 15,000

Lord Slug's Forces - Dark Empire:

Lord Slug (old) - 95,000,000

Lord Slug's 'Secret Weapon' (Base) - 25,000,000

Lord Slug's 'Secret Weapon' (Transformed) - 65,000,000

Before anyone starts moaning about Frieza getting ragdolled by this new character, I would like to point out Frieza wasn't close to full power yet. By this point, Gohan could probably teabag Frieza to death as well when in Super Saiyan (though you can probably expect this by now).

Like in every arc, there's always going to be some sort of character introduction to start off a new saga, and given what we know already about DBZ characters, this isn't a new trend. A new villain coming in to smack around other characters to establish their dominance is a concept as old as Shonen.

What I did here in this chapter, instead of having the typical protagonists like Goku and the Z-fighters getting attacked by the 'new villain', the role is reversed, and it's Frieza- the show's would-be main antagonist- getting attacked by another enemy, Lord Slug. It's pretty much taking a used concept and repurposing it to make a more compelling narrative. It creates new obstacles and challenges for the characters to overcome, with the main focus being on Gohan's growth. Everything that happens here shapes Gohan's character as a hero in this story, but not in the typical good-guy getting attacked by the bad-guy scenario. New situations will always crop up that he has to deal with. But I'm sure I don't have to explain it.

Everything that happened here is all setup for things to come, so please have some patience before you make any hasty decisions.


	17. Vegeta Saga - Rescue Mission

**Author's Note:** I think it would be worth pointing out that I only have 3 OCs of any real significance in this story, one of which is Myra. Kuriza and other characters I managed to take from the DBZ wiki or the DBZ movies.

* * *

**Dragonball Z**

_**Alter Age**_

_Rescue Mission_

(Two days later)

Many lightyears away from the location of the incident that took place over Frieza Planet 1 (FP-1), within the safety of another territory, a second battle force could be found orbiting around a far off, alien world. With the planetoid bearing a deep blue hue of color and an atmosphere covered in dense layers of white clouds, the very distinct form of Cooler's saucer and capital ship, was currently drifting around the world on a satellite's course. Along with a handful of other vessels that were gathered around it- including the _Armored Squadron's_ mobile headquarters _The Comet- _the head ship was presently serving as the site for a significant gathering.

Deep within the bowels of the command ship, in the area known as the training room, a handful of members of the prince's elite fighting unit could be found hard at work. Training in gravity settings of approximately three hundred times greater than normal, Gohan, Dore, Myra, and the three kitsune-seijin children that they'd saved three months earlier- Kida, Riko and Rei- were all working together and polishing up their fighting techniques.

While the three little fox girls of blue, white and orange respectively were struggling somewhat to cope with the intense, simulated environment, the three more seasoned members of the elite squad didn't appear to be affected at all- though they were managing to break out some sort of sweat.

Standing in the center of the fighting arena away from the gym equipment, Dore, locked in a very boxing-like stance, was sparring with all three of the fox girls simultaneously, as they came dashing at him from multiple directions with the intent of inflicting bodily harm. Using surprisingly deft footwork for a man his size, the green warrior in the purple spandex suit, white gloves and boots, proceeded to dodge and deflect everything the children threw at him, while simultaneously throwing them across the room and repelling them in a variety of interesting ways.

Following a quick exchange between him and the white-furred Rei, the beefy fighter with the wild mane of black hair grunted as he then singlehandedly blocked a barrage of attacks from the clan's leader, Kida, as the fox attempted to slip in a good hit on the warrior while he was distracted. Loud bangs then rang out as the youngster buried several solid blows into his arm, only to receive a sharp palm thrust to her stomach that impacted with a loud boom. Her body being sent careening across the room before skidding along the tiled floor, the sweat-covered female rested a hand against the metal and glared up at her opponent

The Beppa-seijin meanwhile smirked and readjusted his hand positions. "You're getting predictable, kid. Come on. You're gonna have to try harder than that."

Snarling angrily, Kida's yellow eyes then glared up as her body suddenly became engulfed in a cloak of blue flames. As the bright embers blasted off of her, the fox then vanished in a crack of wind, at about the same time her two friends also darted towards Dore in their own respective auras. From there, the trio of blurs continued to assault their trainer at a much fierce pace, only for the man the casually dance about his area, defending and countering every single move they attempted to use on him with terrifying skill and precision.

As all of this was going on in their large section of the training room, Gohan was currently engaged in a blind-folded sparring match with Myra in another part.

Clearly intent on refining their ability to fight and sense without use of their eyes, both the boy and girl duo darted and dashed around one another, locked in a very impressive display of martial arts skill. Fists and legs flew around the pair in a series of elaborately formed blurs, as they dodged, countered, and deflected each other's movements in perfect flow. Judging from the way they moved around one another, it was almost like they were superfluously anticipating every single combination and attack the other was going to make, literally a hundred or even a thousand moves ahead.

This became even more noticeable when the blindfolded Gohan sprang at Myra with a series of aerial spin kicks. After the girl deflected them with several light taps, thereby redirecting the force behind the blows away from her, she then countered with a upward kick of her own, only for Gohan to land against her traveling leg and springboard off of it. He then landed and skidded to a stop, sensing the Hera flying at him with an attack.

Dodging her downward swing, he the countered with an uppercut, which she parried and responded with a sharp elbow. He also deflected that one and pushed her off, feeling her shift weight to avoid getting thrown off balance before he returned fire with a chain of punches. As expected, the adolescent Myra handily shot down each of his hands with a rapid string of deflections, knocking each of Gohan's fists down as they attempted to nail her in the head and neck. When he finished off with a downward back fist, she managed to block it and shove him off, thus beginning her attack when she charged in with several kicks.

Every assault both the Saiyan and Hera made was easily telegraphed and predicted, meaning that neither one of them was able to get a clean hit in. Judging from the beads of sweat that were currently dripping down their faces and from the allotted time that'd already passed on the room's clock, the pair had already been at this for quite some time now.

The incredibly unorthodox training method allowed the pair to refine their techniques to the point that fighting like this had become as natural as breathing. When the numbers eventually ticked over to the next hour, a loud buzzer rang out, causing both Gohan and Myra to stop mid movement when they heard the blare echo across the chamber. A few seconds later, after stepping out of their attack stances, the gravity slowly returned to normal, relieving them of the burden of the extra mass weighing them down.

By the time the field dissipated, Gohan and Myra had removed their blind folds, whereas Dore was left grinning over Kida, Rei and Riko- the three kitsune-seijin having collapsed from exhaustion and were currently heaving in deep gulps of much needed fresh air.

In fact, the sight of the three fox girls lying sprawled out on the floor on the precipice of dying had the green warrior in the purple spandex singlet and shorts laugh out loud. "What's wrong? Had enough already?"

His question had Kida and the other two shoot him dirty looks, as they were clearly envious over the fact that their instructor was still lively, on his feet, and completely unharmed- unlike them.

Wiping back her damp hair, the Hera shot a grin towards her demi-Saiyan teammate. "Good work, Gohan-kun."

"Same to you, Myra-nee. That was a great sparring session," the boy replied in his typical, cheerful manner, at the same time wiping his face on the back of his sleeve. "Man. I didn't know you'd gotten so good at sensing energy. I couldn't even land a single hit against you."

The orange-haired warrior chuckled in response. "Well, I've been practicing a lot during the weeks you were out on missions with the other team members, so that shouldn't be a surprise." She then grinned mischievously and, reaching up with her finger, poked him in the forehead. "I don't plan on letting you stay in the lead forever, Prodigy-san."

Gohan giggled at the playful look the adolescent threw him. "Neither do the Captain and Neiz. Since we all have the exact same base strength now, the race has now become dead even." Thanks to him skipping out on the last _Tree of Might_ fruit that they shared and letting his companions have bigger portions from the first batch, his squadmates were able to catch up to him without any issue- especially considering how potent a single bite could be. He then set a hand on his hip as he tilted his head up at his best friend, who he could see had very much enjoyed their little rumble. "Are there any things you noticed in my form that can use some more work? Moves? Attacks? Parries?"

Placing her finger and thumb against her chin and rubbing it in thought, Myra then smiled and nodded to him. "Your jumping uppercut is too noticeable and too slow… and the delivery of your repeated spin-kicks has too much of a flourish. That's probably my style conflicting with Neiz's, since you're trying to compensate power with reach. I suggest working on those the next time you're in here and training on your own."

Cringing a little at this review, Gohan then nodded. "Okay. Got it"

Seeing the momentary relief come over him, Myra then pointed down at him in amusement. "Oh, there's a lot more than those two things. Don't go thinking I didn't notice them." When she saw the boy deflate, the teenager grinned, stepped over to him, and wrapped an arm around his head- pulling him into her side. The act of doing so caused his head to sink into her ample bosom, which caused the child to blush a little in embarrassment, "Your fighting style is still far from perfect. But you'll have plenty of time to work on polishing it up."

"O-Okay, nee-san," Gohan mumbled, his cheeks pressing flush up against the girl's abs as she playfully pulled him along to where the towels were.

When the duo reached the rack and began drying themselves off, they then turned around to see Dore giving the trio of kitsune girls sitting on the floor in front of him a lecture on proper attack formations. He reviewed the strategies and methods that they used in their sparring match against him and informed them on how they can correct them, especially when they're facing off against an opponent who was not only larger than them, but stronger than them as well.

Listening in to his very enthusiastic breakdown of one particular scenario, Gohan couldn't help but crack a smile. "Kida-chan and her friends are really coming along, aren't they?"

Hearing this, Myra nodded in agreement. "Though their fighting styles are incredibly unorthodox, all three of them have superb speed, reflexes and adaptability. They've also gotten a lot stronger thanks to the fruits they shared with us and their training." Placing a hand on her hip while allowing her towel hand to dangle at her side, the tomboy of a fighter grinned. "Judging from how rapid their development is, I bet those three will be able to catch up to us in about two to three years."

Gohan sighed as he saw Kida, Rei and Riko watch and listen to Dore with vested expressions- their eyes wide like a group of puppies as they nodded to every explanation and point the Beppa-seijin made. It was honestly quite an adorable sight. "They've really made this place their own over the last few months, haven't they?"

The remark made Myra's smile fade a little, yet she still couldn't help but nod in agreement. "Yeah. But I bet they still really miss their home world. Not to mention the families and friends that they'd lost." Perking up when she was struck by a sudden realization, the adolescent warrior then craned her head towards the boy drinking from the water flask next to her and gave him an inquisitive stare. "What about you, Gohan-kun? Don't you miss your home? Your family?"

His own smile disappearing when he was asked this question, the boy quietly lowered his head as he allowed the inquiry towards his past float around for a moment. As memories of his life from a year ago quickly filtered into the forefront of his mind, the youngster sighed deeply. "To tell you the truth, I do miss my home a lot… and my lake… and my forests around it. But I miss my mum and dad most of all. I bet they're worried sick about me - wondering where I am, what I've been up to, and whether or not I'm safe." The youngster chuckled a little. "I bet my mother would freak out if she heard about all the stuff I'd gotten up to over the past year. Heck, she'd probably ground me for months and never leave my side."

Sensing the warmth emanating from the child, Myra chuckled. "She must love you very much to worry about you to such a level."

After processing this for a moment, the youngster glanced back up at the Hera. "Ah, I'm sure it's alright. If they really want me to come home, they'll be able to use these things they call dragon balls to bring me back to the planet."

Myra blinked. "Dragon balls? Hmm… that name sounds familiar." When she saw the boy nod, she tilted her head. "Are they… some sort of tracking or teleportation device?"

Thinking on it for a moment, Gohan then scrunched his face up and peered towards the ceiling. "You know… I'm not quite sure. Dad told me a couple of stories about them- that when you gather them all together, a big, green dragon named Shenron pops out and offers to give you things… maybe as a reward for finding him or something." The boy then grinned and pointed up to the top of his spiky mullet. "Back when I was much younger, my dad attached the four star dragon ball to my hat as a way to bring me good luck. But since I loved running around the valleys and forests so much, the thing kept on falling off."

The orange-haired adolescent chuckled while shaking her head at him. "An adventurous rascal at home and up here I see." She then reached over and ruffled his hair, this time with much more fondness than cheekiness. "Never change, Gohan-kun."

This earned an even wider grin from the child. "Don't worry. I won't. Heck, I'm having so much fun spending time with you guys that I don't think I'll ever want to go home. It's just so big and open out here… and all the adventures we go on really gets my blood pumping."

Finding the child's positivity incredibly uplifting, Myra beamed before proposing the pair head to the showers. However, just as the two of them were reading to head out, both they and Dore's group were suddenly interrupted by the door to the training chamber opening. The sound of the gate hissing as it slid open, the two respective teams then looked towards the entrance to see the tall, fully dressed Neiz standing there in the squad's signature armor and spandex.

Noticing the people inside look in his direction, the Zalt-seijin took a deep breath, before promptly addressing them. "We've received an emergency alert," Neiz said loudly, causing the senior members of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_ to give him their full, undivided attention. "All high ranking army and naval officers on site are being ordered to assemble in the conference room, right now."

Their energy returning to them all at once and moods shifting from casual to serious, Gohan, Myra and Dore quickly sprang into action. Drying themselves off as best as they could, the trio tossed their towels into the washer slot, before speedily jogging after Neiz- leaving Kida, Rei and Riko sitting in the center of the training room floor, looking at one another in confusion.

Not really caring that they were only wearing their gloves, boots and spandex, the trio of freshly active members of the Armored Squadron followed their fellow commando through the winding hallways of the ship. Being acutely aware of where every room and chamber was located throughout the saucer, the group arrived at the entrance to the ship's main assembly room in just under a minute. Here the trio immediately noticed every single high-ranking military man and woman was already gathered.

The layout of the conference chamber was exactly what you'd expect from a room like this stationed on board a starship of this size. The large, white, circular hall with a high ceiling was outfitted with all the items necessary for important admin briefings, including a large hologram table situated in the center of the room, spot lights, and raised steps and seats that looped around the entire space, providing platforms for the troops to seat. It was on these very bleachers where all of the esteemed aliens and commanders within the Cooler Force were currently gathering- all of whom stood at attention and saluted when they saw Neiz step through the entrance, along with Myra, Gohan and Dore.

Being the highest ranking officers in the military, it was no surprise that the team was greeted with such adulation and respect.

Almost instantly an excited clamor started up amongst the male and female aliens assembled inside the room- all of whom began whispering their praise and disbelief that multiple members of the illustrious _Cooler's Armored Squadron_ were in the room. The fact that all of them were present, including their venerable captain Salza, made the troops even more excited than they normally would be. It almost felt like they were all part of some sort of special campaign or secret mission.

As they would later find out of course, their feelings were most certainly spot on.

Meeting up with Salza, who was standing beside the hologram table, Neiz, Dore, Myra and Gohan greeted him promptly, with the blonde captain scrunching his nose when he saw the current states of the other three.

"Where's the rest of your uniforms?" the captain asked while cocking an eyebrow at Myra's spandex singlet and thong, while also looking at Dore's singlet and spats.

"Sorry, boss," Dore chuckled, while nervously rubbing the back of his head- the helmet of which he had removed at the start of his training session earlier that morning. "The three of us were running drills in the training hall for the last few hours."

"We didn't have time to wash or get dressed," Gohan also answered with a sheepish grin.

"Uh-huh," Salza murmured, glancing them over once more, before then exhaling in an accepting manner. "Well, nothing we can do about it now."

Myra propped a hand on her hip, "Any idea what this is all about?"

"Not a clue," the captain replied, before then glancing towards the entrance. "But I'm sure we'll find out in the next couple of minutes."

Almost on cue, the entire conference room went completely silent when, through the threshold and under the arc, every single person present saw the distinct form of Emperor Cooler come marching in- with his attendant Berryblue and head of R&D Kikono right next to him. The second everyone saw their leader enter the large space, the entire collection of officers and soldiers immediately stood at attention- with Salza and his group quickly spreading themselves out, putting their arms at their sides, and bowing to the prince respectfully.

Tail swishing behind him, the purple-skinned alien with white carapace plates nodded back to his subordinates in kind.

"At ease, men," Cooler said, signaling his elite warriors to return to casual standing positions and watching as they set their hands at their sides. He then proceeded to address the entire room in a big voice. "Thank you all for coming on such short notice. Though I know there are many commanders still out on assignment and that many of you are preparing to head out on your next missions, due to the severity of the situation that has arisen, all upcoming jobs and operations have been postponed until further notice. I'm afraid this is going to be a long week for all of us." When he saw Dore, Gohan and Myra step back to make space for him, the young prince then beckoned all of the other officers in the room to sit, which they did. When he stopped beside the large table in the center, he then waved for the yellow alien in armor following after him to walk forward. "Kikono. If you please."

"With pleasure, your grace," the short alien replied, bowing to the alien before moving towards the table. The head science officer of the Cooler Force then cleared his throat before addressing the chamber, which he noticed had its full attention set squarely on his diminutive form. "We just received an emergency transmission over the Cold Force's primary frequency, from our rivals in Lord Frieza's branch of the _Planet Trade Organization_. Code- Magenta." Reaching over to the table behind him, Kikono then activated the board- the lights of the room going dark and a large, shimmering, yet clear hologram jumping up to fill the space above it. The enormous picture was that of a decimated naval fleet floating amongst the remains of an asteroid field. "Approximately forty-eight hours ago, during a routine inspection of his fleet, the young prince and his army was unexpectedly attacked by an unknown, yet powerful alien force from an unknown system. As a result, not only was Prince Frieza's capital planet FP-01 completely destroyed, but so was an enormous portion of his combined naval fleet, his ship, and several of his highest ranking officers." Kikono then inhaled deeply and frowned. "Lord Frieza's son- Kuriza- was also abducted during the assault."

The news not only stunned the entire room, but also all of the members of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_.

Feeling his jaw had dropped somewhat, a shocked Salza then spoke up. "What kind of madman would mount an attack against the Cold family and stage a kidnapping of one of its members?" the captain asked above the terrified clamor of his fellow troopers.

As Berryblue floated calmly behind Cooler, Kikono promptly addressed the leader of the prince's elite attack force. "The mastermind behind this insidious plot is a self-proclaimed ruler and warlord who identified himself as Lord Slug. Though we have no idea what his species is or from what system he originates, from the information that we were able to gain from Frieza Force, the man is apparently the commander of a military faction he dubbed the _**Dark Empire**_\- and that he probably migrated to this area of space from the unknown regions." Placing his hands behind his back, the science officer then puffed his chest out nervously. "Despite our limited intelligence on him, it is clear that this individual is bold, ruthless, intelligent, and extremely dangerous. The fact that he was able to kidnap Frieza's son while he was standing on the bridge with his father tells us that this is an enemy that should not be taken lightly."

Upon processing all of this information so far, one of the officers standing towards the back of the chamber- a lieutenant- then spoke up. "How did this maniac manage to abduct the prince's son right from under the young emperor's nose?"

It was at this point that Kikono moved on to the next portion of the report- switching from the images taken of various portions of Frieza's ruined fleet to a video taken inside of his capital ship. "The attack was a coordinated effort. Before Lord Frieza's fleet was hit by Lord Slug's command ship, the young prince's own vessel was boarded by a creature of unknown origins. After crashing into the craft inside a stray meteor fragment, the beast then proceeded to attack and kill every single soldier that attempted to confront it. The security cameras scattered around the vessel managed to capture footage of this monster's massacre."

The three-dimensional feed now being played in the hologram first started off in the corridor where a meteorite had crashed. Seconds later the entire contingent of Cooler's army gathered in the room then recoiled and gasped in horror when they saw a winged, lizard-like creature with dark grown skin and horns leap out of the rock and start slaughtering all of the soldiers in front of it in various bloody and gruesome manners. They then proceeded to watch as it began tearing down hallways, cutting down soldiers and walking through ki and laser fire like it was nothing.

After seeing the cameras switch a few times as they tracked the creature, Dore felt his jaw drop when he saw the beast grab a soldier and rip them in half with its claws. "Holy fuck."

Salza, shaking his head in disbelief when he watched another soldier get slammed into a wall while another had its neck bitten into, then looked across at Kikono. "Are you saying that this… _thing_… is working with Lord Slug?"

Kikono nodded. "Yes. After it made its way to the bridge, it managed to smash through the door, knock out Frieza's top commanders- Zarbon and Dodoria- before batting aside the emperor himself and taking his son. It then blasted itself out of the bridge's main window and into space, where it immediately rendezvoused with Lord Slug's vessel." He then quickly cut to the scene of the bridge, where everyone saw the dragonoid warrior smash through the door, charge down Frieza, and knock him aside. A collective series of gasps and stunned murmurs immediately went up amongst the officers, all of whom couldn't believe that the creature was able to best the tyrant. When Kikono paused the video feed on the creature after it telekinetically pulled Kuriza toward her, the yellow alien frowned. "The fact that this beast was able to go toe-to-toe with the young emperor and live speaks volumes as to the danger this new threat imposes. It's clear that ordinary soldiers are not going to be enough to tackle this brute alone."

That much everyone could agree on.

Of course, the true gravity of the situation wasn't fully unveiled until Cooler got a better look at the humanoid, female dragon in the hologram. Upon squinting at it for a moment as he analyzed the creature's appearance- from their lizard characteristics, their fiery aura, their wings and then to their tail- the young leader of the force then felt his eyes widen when his memory clocked on a significantly important detail.

As a result, Cooler's arms uncrossed in disbelief. "It can't be." Hearing the warlord whisper had every officer in the room look towards the purple alien, whom they saw was gawking at the screen where the dragonoid was standing. "That girl… she's a _**Ryu-seijin**_."

Dore blinked, "A what?"

It was upon hearing that word, Captain Salza's head snapped back to the hologram in shock. "A Ryu-seijin. They were a race of bipedal, dragon-like aliens that lived tens of millions of years ago and originated from the planet _Azrael, _somewhere in the heart of the Black Eye Galaxy. They were among one of the first sentient races to ever be born in the universe, renowned for their incredible strength, vitality, and wild natures."

Still looking confused despite the drop of information, Dore then shrugged. "Okay… so… she's a freaky alien lizard from a super old race. That's neat. But why's that got all of you so flustered?"

It was then Cooler decided to get right to the thick of the matter as he eyed the figure before them carefully. "The Ryujin were wiped out eons ago by the God of Destruction- Beerus." With this remark causing many of the people in the room's jaws to drop, the alien prince continued. "There were several tomes pertaining to these ancient aliens back in the palace's library on my home world. This particular race earned the fearsome reputation of being the _'ultimate lifeforms'_\- apex predators that reveled in the hunting and conquering of other races, as well as possessing the greatest natural adaptations and survival instincts of any animal in history. It was thanks to their unruly natures, insatiable appetites, and desire for destruction that Beerus took it upon himself to eliminate their home planet- as he saw the Ryujin as a threat to all other forms of life across the universe." The prince then shrugged at the stunned looks from his subordinates. "Though these facts are mostly speculation by historians at best, it's what I was able to remember from my studies. This happened a very long time ago, after all."

"I remember seeing fossils of these aliens in a museum back on CP-53 during one of my earlier missions to that planet," Myra informed, propping a hand on her hip as she also analyzed the specimen in front of them carefully. "The stories and legends written about those creatures sent shivers down my spine."

When she made this comment, the adolescent and everybody else then noticed Gohan break from the group to begin walking around the hologram. With a serious, yet inquisitive look on his face, the child began inspecting the reptilian creature more carefully. He even made sure to move in closer to look at the spines running up the alien's tail and back.

"Okay," Neiz murmured, his eyes quickly moving back to the hologram. "So a walking, talking, living fossil managed to smash its way onto Lord Frieza's ship and kidnap his son? But if these Ryujin things were wiped out millions of years ago by _The Great Destroyer_, how the hell is _this one_ still alive?" Needless to say, there was something about this whole thing that just didn't add up.

Salza shrugged, "Your best guess is as good as mine."

This in turn had Myra glance across at her captain. "Could this be another Beenz-seijin case? Like the ones we ran into on CP-179?" she asked, referring to their battle with the _Turles' Crusher Corp_, and how two of its members- Rasin and Lakasei- were resurrected members of a thought-to-be long-dead race.

"Could be," Salza answered, before then glancing back around at Kikono. "Since this creature was able to bat away Lord Frieza without much difficulty, how strong do we think she actually is?"

The scientist cleared his throat while looking back up at the hologram. "Based on what we know about Lord Frieza's strength and the numbers we were able to receive through the transmission, we calculate this alien's battle power to be around sixty-five million… maybe more."

While this news had the blood of everyone in the room run cold, a series of uncomfortable expressions crossed the faces of the members of Cooler's elite. Kikono's announcement in particular had Neiz visibly wince. "Well… that's not disconcerting at all, is it?"

"Lord Frieza was unable to come close to his full power before he was knocked aside. Perhaps not even half his power," Kikono added, before then putting on a frown. "But that doesn't mean this creature isn't strong. Far from it. And what's more, the computer was also able to detect several massive power levels and thousands of other life forms inhabiting the enemy's vessel before it vanished into light speed, so it's safe to say that she may not be the only remarkable foe we have to contend with."

Around this time, Gohan had returned to his friends' side- his eyes still glued to the hologram with great intent. When Myra and Dore looked to see how their youngest compatriot was taking all of this, both of them recoiled when they saw his tail was wagging behind him furiously, while a big, exited grin was pulled across his lips. It was a sight that did not go amiss by Cooler or the other members of the squadron, all of whom turned to the demi-Saiyan when they heard him speak.

"I want to fight her," Gohan exclaimed, shocking everyone in the room as his fists clenched tightly at his sides. From the way his eyes were dilated and body was trembling from head to toe, it was clear that whatever emotions were currently surging through his body were of the intense variety. "This girl… she looks and sounds really, _really_ strong. Someone who can hit hard, move fast, and take a lot of punishment. I want to meet her. I want to battle her."

Dore blinked. "Are you… are you serious, kid?"

"Did you see what that thing did to Frieza and his crew?" Neiz asked, while at the same time gesturing to the hologram shimmering in front of them and the bodies scattered around the control room in the image. "She eviscerated and butchered every single person she came across, and practically rag dolled the young emperor across the room with a single hit- and when he was in his final form no less! Do you honestly want to fight something as scary and monstrous as that?"

Gohan, expression steeling as he looked back at his companions, then gave them a nod and a grin. "I do."

Dore and Neiz looked at one another in disbelief- completely at a loss for words. And while Myra also appeared slightly surprised, she couldn't help but allow a small smile to cross her lips, before she turned to look across at Salza and Cooler.

The captain of the squad, sensing his subordinate's enthusiasm and seeing it clearly etched into his smile, turned inquisitively towards his commander. "What do you think, sire?"

Cooler, also noticing the look being thrown at him by Gohan, smirked broadly. "I say let the kid have his fun. He seems pretty keen for it, so why deny him the opportunity to test himself?" Watching the fire burn brightly in the youngster's gaze, the purple ruler and the rest of his soldiers then directed their attention back to a dumbstruck Kikono. "What's the current status of the enemy vessel? Was Frieza able to track it after it jumped into hyperspace? If not, then what about his son?"

Snapping out of his daze, Kikono looked back towards his commander and straightened up into a more attentive stance. "The planet? No. But due to Kuriza's unique energy signature, the scouters on Frieza's vessel were able to track the course that Lord Slug's ship took when it retreated from his sector." He then moved into the next hologram image, which showed a 3D rendered, extra wide view of the known universe within both Lord Frieza's and Lord Cooler's respective branches of the PTO. Upon zooming in on the location that was formerly FP-01, a dotted line was then formed from the planet, generating a path of various straight lines millions of lightyears across the cosmos, which then led directly to the edge of Cooler's space. "The vessel followed a seldom used collection of hyperspace lanes to a local star system on the very edge of our territory- galaxy NGC-5866, Star 19, inside the local moons of CP-527. It's a deserted area of space consisting of multiple barren worlds that are devoid of intelligent life. A completely isolated location that's well out of reach of Frieza's range and influence."

"So… these brigands decided to take refuge inside of _my_ borders, huh?" Cooler asked, a deep frown spreading across his lips as he analyzed the path carefully. Upon inspecting the area that the enemy had arrived at, the alien warlord then tapped his finger. "This Lord Slug wants us to find them."

Salza frowned. "It seems that way."

Neiz looked across at the prince. "You think it might be a trap?"

"Most definitely. Why else would they be advertising their position with their hostage's ki signature? If they really didn't want to be found, they would've knocked my nephew out and hidden him deep within their fortress- or concealed the planet with a cloaking device," Cooler muttered, rapping his arm with his finger before nodding towards Kikono. "Since we know they will be expecting us, exactly what kind of obstacles are we expected to deal with?"

At that moment, the scientist then flipped over to the next image- this time featuring the enemy vessel itself. When it popped up onto the screen, most of the officers currently stationed in the chamber were immediately confounded to find a projection of a planet floating in the hologram, which took the form of a large ball of ice and rock. On first glance there didn't appear to be anything unusual about it.

That was until multiple numbers and images of the planet's various armaments and technologies started jumping up onto the screen, which added a multitude of other problems to what was an already complex situation.

"The planet is a dreadnaught-class, mobile planetoid or assault satellite- a barren world converted into an enormous battleship or cruiser-like vessel. Though it may appear like an ordinary rogue planet through the scanners and telescopes, in actuality the entire object is a large, fully-functioning, and heavily defended battleship- outfitted with a wide array of anti-space and anti-orbital weaponry and defenses," Kikono informed, watching as the image overhead rotated and zoomed in on the various battery platforms and gun emplacements riddling the surface of the sphere. "The entire layer beneath the crust has been gutted and converted into an elaborate, underground fortress consisting of multiple bunkers and tunnels, allowing the cruiser to barrel through space without risk to its crew or population. Whoever designed this vessel went out of their way to make sure it was ready for any kind of combat situation."

Salza, looking over the schematics that jumped up onto the screen, cocked an eyebrow. "It has its own atmosphere and magnetic field?"

"Yes. The entire planetoid was frozen over by some kind of high-altitude climate converter- probably for the aliens occupying its surface. My guess is that whatever number of races currently inhabiting the mobile world are unaccustomed to the temperatures generated by the local stars, so they blanketed the entire world in frost and ice as a way to create a more suitable environment for them to live in," Kikono informed, before using his long, curly finger to gesture around the mountain ranges on the planet. "On top of that, due to the fact that the entire world is covered in ice creates a natural barrier and shield against heavy space debris. And thanks to its increased density and mass, it's able to travel across galaxies at sub-light speeds without fear of being damaged by meteorites or other objects."

"So on top of having a thick atmosphere, it's also got heavy armor underneath it?" Myra asked, earning a nod from the yellow scientist. "Smart."

"Indeed. And that's not even counting the hundreds of heavy plasma cannons covering the planet's surface," Kikono said, while at the same time bringing up schematics of the large laser cannons the Frieza Force was able to capture during their scans of the enemy vessel. "Multiple twin barrel anti-space turrets are dispersed evenly across both hemispheres, all of which are guided by a complex fire control system that provides not only adequate orbital defense, but top of the line assault capabilities and tight groupings of salvos. It was this same collection of batteries that decimated Frieza's combined fleet." Kikono then turned to Cooler and gave him a hard look. "Any attempts to invade the planet with a large force will be thwarted by the planet's anti-orbital defense grid. However, while their cannons are excellent at destroying large freighters and carrier vessels, their accuracy greatly diminishes against smaller targets at close range."

Upon processing all of this information, Myra then stepped closer and pointed around at the range of turrets formed along the planet's equator. "So what you're saying is that the best way for us to slip through the anti-space defenses and get down to the planet's surface is to get in close with a small attack craft?"

At this point, Neiz cracked a smile. "That shouldn't be a problem at all." He then pointed over his shoulder with his thumb towards the rows of seats behind them, where lieutenant Shira could be seen standing in one of the aisles. "_The Comet_ should be able to breach that air defense, no sweat. Our pilot has flown hundreds of missions through blockades and lines of anti-space cannons, so a planet like this shouldn't be any different."

Gohan, feeling he should be the one to ask, turned towards Lieutenant Shira standing on the steps of the conference room. "Do you think the ship can do it?"

When the red-haired, orange-skinned female saw most of the room turn to her, including Emperor Cooler, the young alien woman in the spandex grinned and gave them a thumbs-up. "I can fly that girl through a rainstorm and come out the other side completely dry." She then crossed her arms. "Just point me where you want to go."

Dore, giving the woman a broad smile, nodded affirmatively before grinning across at Cooler. "Looks like we have our ride in."

Stepping forward and analyzing the planet's layout up close, Salza then felt it was his turn to speak up against. "_The Comet_ can take us inside the planet's defensive range and disable the anti-orbital cannons. If we destroy all of the batteries stationed on the western plate _here_…" he said, while at the same time circling a significant chunk of the planet's surface, "we should be able to land a battalion of troops on the ground in the lowlands and mount a direct assault on the citadel- _here_." He then traced his finger up the field and towards what he saw was a large, saucer-shaped building of some kind, which suspiciously looked like some sort of spaceship wedged into the ice planet's crust. "Judging from this building's position on the ridge and the large numbers registering inside of it, I'm guessing that this is the mobile planet's command center."

Kikono nodded at the captain's assessment. "Correct. Lord Kuriza's energy signature is also emanating from that structure, so it's safe to assume that the leader is holding him somewhere close by. Most likely to give us a hint as to where we can find him."

Tilting his head at the hologram, Gohan frowned. "It seems to me like this Lord Slug guy is doing everything he can to lure Frieza's forces into battle with him. He's not planning on negotiating or making any kind of deal to give his son back. He _wants_ this fight to happen." He then glanced across at Cooler and his teammates. "This is all just a game to him."

At this remark, Cooler gave a nod to the boy in agreement. "So let's play along. See where all of this goes." The man then turned and looked across at his elite, while at the same time referring to all of the officers scattered around the conference hall. "Ladies and gentlemen- let me make our situation absolutely clear. From this point onwards, the Cooler Force- and by extension Frieza's branch of the PTO- is at war with Lord Slug and his _Dark Empire_. Due to most of our army being spread out across the quadrant, the Seventh Fleet and the Armored Squadron are the only military assets we have available for this operation. But since we know exactly where our enemy is and where they're hiding, our next course of action is a direct assault on the _Dark Empire's_ war planet and their headquarters."

Hearing this, one of the armored aliens in the front row of the conference room- a pale warrior with a scar over his eye and curved horns protruding from his head- stood up and at attention. "The Seventh Fleet is assembled and prepared for tasking at your command, sire," the warrior spoke, before promptly slamming a fist against his chest armor.

"Thank you, commander," Cooler nodded back to him, before beginning to pan around the circular room with a look of confidence and purpose on his face. "My capital ship will provide operational over watch at range. As soon as Salza's team eliminates all of the planet's anti-orbital defenses and sends out the _all clear_ signal, the Seventh Fleet will come in and land troops directly on the continent. They will then march on the citadel and eliminate all enemy forces in their way, while Salza's team enters the castle and rescues Kuriza."

It was at this point that Myra decided to chime in. "It's a well-conceived plan, sire. But there's still a slight problem. Even if we eliminate all of the cannons defending its surface, the entire planet is still a highly mobile battle unit- capable of moving through space and smashing through everything in its path." She then looked across at Kikono. "If the enemy realizes that their base is at risk of being captured, won't they just jump to hyperspace and escape like they did before?"

On this note, Kikono chimed in with a smile. "I considered that possibility." He then quickly scuttled around the hologram table to the other side of the planet's projection and pointed towards a secondary structure on the back. The hologram then highlighted the area, revealing a hexagonal superstructure wedged into the back of the planet. "A dreadnaught of this scale requires a massive internal engine to operate its weapons and thrusters. In order to prevent catastrophic overheating and meltdown, the enemy installed a thermal oscillator in this area along the equator. This facility monitors the engine's reactors and helps funnel power throughout the vessel, giving it enhanced propulsion capabilities. If _The Comet_ takes that out, it will shut down its engines and render the entire planet inert without blowing it up."

Salza clicked his fingers and pointed at it. "Then we'll hit _that_ first." He then looked across at his team. "As soon as we breach the planet's orbital defenses, we go straight for the oscillator."

"Then it's settled," Cooler informed, bringing his arms out from behind him and addressing the Seventh Fleet commander still standing at attention. "Is your cruiser spinning radar, commander?"

The pale, scar-faced alien nodded. "Still turning, sir."

The young prince then pointed to him. "We're at least three days out from the enemy's location. Make sure all transport ships are fueled and ready, and delegate instructions with your officers and NCOs to have their men suited up and mobilized for ground assault. I want the entire Seventh Fleet prepared to move out on my command." Seeing the commander bow before heading off, Cooler then turned and addressed one of his ship's deck commanders sitting close by the entrance. "Drop Officer. Coordinate with engineering and get us mobile. I want my vessel combat effective inside of ten minutes."

"Roger, sir. Engineer Swath and your team, with me," the lieutenant spoke up, before promptly standing and retreating from the room with the officer in question, both of whom followed after the fleet commander and his subordinates.

After this, Cooler then quickly turned to Salza and his men, all of whom he saw stand at attention and snap their heels together. "Get the squad and crew back over to _The Comet_. I'll have Kikono transmit the schematics and intelligence of the enemy base over to you right away. Be sure to go over the data while on route. The rest of the force will be right behind you."

Placing their hands over their chests, Gohan and the other members of his team all bowed to the prince in confirmation of his instructions. _**"Yes, sire,"**_ they all chimed at once, before promptly being dismissed by the ruler with a nod of his head.

With the entire room standing up and beginning to mobilize at their emperor's command, the entire vessel soon found itself readying itself for its next assignment. As hangar bays were filled and soldiers began transporting themselves to and from their assigned craft, Emperor Cooler remained in the conference room, where he began assessing the target once again.

While Kikono was communicating with a squad of officers, who'd rushed over at his instruction, the busy young prince suddenly felt someone float up behind him and glanced over his shoulder to see Berryblue's smiling face hovering nearby. Without even having to prompt her, the white-haired advisor in robes then began to speak.

"Sir, I have just received a transmission from one of my contacts in the Frieza Force," the blue-skinned female whispered, causing Cooler's head to perk up momentarily. "It appears that your younger brother has called in the _Ginyu Force_ for assistance, and has ordered them to head straight to the coordinates of Lord Slug's ship."

Cooler, feeling his frustration boil slightly at hearing this information, growled through his teeth and glared up at the hologram of the enemy fortress. "That arrogant little brat. What the hell does he think he's doing?" He then gestured to the schematics of the vessel. "Doesn't he know about the danger he's sending them into? The defenses? The fortifications? The enemy units? What exactly is he trying to prove?"

Berryblue leaned back and floated away when she saw the prince's shoulders tighten. "It appears he's trying to resolve the situation himself… without his family's help."

"And risk getting his son killed?" Cooler growled, bringing his hand up as if he were about to slam it into the table. However, after taking several deep, calming breaths, the tyrant relented and exhaled deeply. He then looked up at the hologram in front of him, and towards the citadel situated on the northern hemisphere of the mobile planetoid. "Frieza is sending Ginyu and his entire team to their deaths… but I'm not going to let that happen. I'm going to take that planet, save their necks, and rescue my nephew. Even if I have to go down there myself."

Sensing the man's passion and confidence, Berryblue smiled proudly. "Don't worry, sire. I'm sure Salza and his team will be able to save your nephew. They are the best of the best, after all- a group who you trust beyond all measure. There's no need for you to get involved."

The tone that his attendant used, topped with her praise towards his subordinates' abilities, helped the calm the young prince somewhat. This then led to Cooler leaning forward on one hand on the table and glaring up at the hologram before him as it switched to a zoomed in version of the castle they were about to storm.

"I hope you're right," the emperor whispered.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Far side of Cooler Space)

For the fledgling prince Kuriza- the son of the infamous Lord Frieza- his situation had yet to see any improvements.

On the day he was unwillingly dragged onto the planet-sized vessel by the dragon-female that'd abducted him from his father's ship, the boy had quickly found himself dragged through the dank corridors of the satellite's central citadel, before eventually being thrown into a single cell a whole floor down. The cell was a dark, cold, slime-covered box consisting of a single window etched into the wall several feet over his head, a slab of concrete situated against another wall for a bed, and a hole that served as a toilet. Other than that, the almost pitch-black chamber of moss and moisture had almost no other features, meaning that for the past two days since his imprisonment, Kuriza had been left in literal darkness over everything that was happening outside.

Of course, being the son of one of the most powerful beings in the universe and possessing strength nearly unmatched by lower lifeforms, the little prince did attempt to escape several times. Oh, he tried tunneling through the wall, climbing to reach the window, or smash through the door standing in his way. But no matter what he did, not only were his family's powers being dampened by the energy restrictors lining the walls- the same technology used by the _Galactic Patrol_ to keep prisoners like the planet devouring Moro inside his cell- but the barriers were so thick that you would need a plasma cutter to get through them.

After multiple, failed attempts to call for help, annoy the guards, and bust out through the walls, the child eventually resigned himself to his fate, and spent the next many hours sitting on his hard bed with his knees pulled up to his chest. At first he sulked. Then his misery set in. And then after that cold, unrelenting helplessness.

Forty eight hours of complete silence and isolation soon passed Kuriza by. While the young prince received food and water through the slot in the iron door to keep his body sustained, the little alien leader had nothing else to keep him occupied. All he had were his thoughts, all of which had been rendered flustered and panicked by his situation, as he had no idea what fate awaited him at the end of his tenure here.

Thankfully he didn't have to wait for too long. Upon hearing the shields of his concrete world shut down and hearing the clanking of metal to his door opened, Kuriza was eventually ordered out of his cell and dragged down the hallway when he refused to move beyond the threshold. The boy once again found himself in the custody of the same female dragonoid that'd taken him from his father, who- along with two human-shaped soldiers dressed in full-white armor and tight black spandex- marched him up the large staircase of the fortress he was confined in.

When Kuriza and his kidnapper arrived in what he assumed was the grand hall of the planet's castle, the boy was eventually forced to march down the metal floor towards a golden throne positioned at the back of it, which was elevated on a series of large, metal steps. Noticing the entire chamber was also being held up by large metal pillars, particularly behind the throne itself, the young prince also saw a couple of computer terminals situated on both sides of the room, both of which were being operated by a group of diminutive figures wearing cloaks.

As for the throne itself, Kuriza barely had time to see who the occupant of it was, for as soon as he was brought within reach of the steps, the child was forcefully grabbed by the top of his head by the female dragon's claw and forced to get to his knees. He was then pushed into a bowing position, grunting and straining in discomfort as the winged girl held him firmly in place.

"Ow! H-Hey! Stop that," Kuriza grunted and groaned in his squeaky voice, attempting to wrest his way out of the female's grasp, but failing. "What are you-"

"Silence," the girl dragon hissed, shooting the boy a warning look through her blood red eyes as he looked back up at her through clenched teeth. Ignoring this, the dragon girl with the reddish brown scales and large bust then turned her head upwards to look upon the throne. "My master… I have brought you the emperor's child… as you ordered."

"Hmm… good… good…" a low, gravelly voice suddenly answered back.

Eyes widening as a cold chill suddenly rushed down his spine, the young Kuriza was left staring wide-eyed at the cold, hard floor for several tense moments. When he felt the dragon's claw relinquish itself from his head, he then slowly panned up. Through beads of nervous sweat and wide, terrified eyes, the fledgling leader soon found himself staring upon the leader of the brigands that'd kidnapped me and the commander of the fortress planet that he saw decimate his father's fleet two days ago.

What Kuriza found himself staring at was a tall, larger than average and bulky looking alien with greyish, green skin, a wrinkly face, and wearing a black, hooded cloak that concealed most of his entire body. Though the choice of robes did help to hide away a lot of the elderly leader's features, what the young prince was able to make out through his inspections of the warlord from the base of the steps, was that the leader of the enemy force also wore a set of baggy, purple pants and long-sleeved top, orange gloves and boots, a yellow vest, belts across his chest that intersected at a blue, decorative gem on the front, and an orange scarf wrapped comfortably around his neck.

Other than that, everything else about the stranger remained completely out of sight, meaning that Kuriza- with all of his acquired knowledge, deductive skills, and intelligence- was unable to identify the leader's species or planet of origin. Everything about the warlord screamed ominous- and that wasn't even counting the incredibly foul stare he was now giving him from under the hood of his cape.

Upon giving an inspection of the man sitting in the throne, Kuriza also noticed a collection of other alien figures standing around him. Though all of them stood or hunched at different shapes, sizes, builds and apparently species, the one thing that connected all of them to each other was that each of the four men assembled around the warlord was that they all had a pair of small devil horns protruding from the tops of their heads. This one trait was the only thing that linked the four individuals to each other, which only added further mystique to who this Lord Slug actually was.

As Kuriza knelt there, taking in the elevated throne and the people assembled around it, the young alien then noticed one of the four aliens come to kneel before the elderly lord. This individual being one of the larger and more intimidating of the aliens gathered around the warlord, the muscular male with light orange skin, red bushy hair, horns, and wearing black gladiator spats and various other leather belts, boots, and gauntlets on his person, lowered his head and closed his eyes.

As if on cue, the old Lord Slug, taking a deep breath from the oxygen mask connected to the tank next to his throne, then raised his free right hand and laid it against his subordinate's head. After a few seconds of concentrating, the old warlord then gave a low growl, as a hot cloud of white energy began to simmer off of the orange warrior's body. When the wall of mist eventually surrounded him, the warlord then removed his hand, which then caused the steam to erupt from the orange warrior in the form of a powerful aura.

Growling through bared teeth, the orange alien felt his muscles swell and body tighten, as all the energy dwelling deep inside of him was released at once. Then, after allowing the white energy to burn around him for several moments, the entire room then watched it recede, drawing a satisfied sigh from the warrior and a series of dark grins from his compatriots.

"There. Your potential… *cough-cough*… has been fully unlocked, Commander Zeeun," the old Lord Slug wheezed, lowering his hand to his seat and taking several more deep, ragged breaths. "You… may now rise."

Taking a deep breath, the red-haired alien did as he was ordered. Straightening up and feeling his many joints pop and creak as they adjusted to his newly gained mass, the warrior then took a moment to inspect his hands. Upon which the now more empowered fighter smiled and bowed to the elder in the chair, before stepping away.

"Thank you, Lord Slug," the warrior whispered, taking up his post alongside his other companions behind the elder's chair.

After a minute passed, in which the entire room was left in complete silence- save for the raspy breathing of the warlord in the chair- Kuriza then saw the leader of the enemy force gesture towards him. The moment he did, the boy prince felt his body get picked up by the back of the neck, dragged towards the steps, and shoved onto them in a new kneeling position, before the female dragon that'd done it stepped away.

"Gently now…" the old man on the throne chuckled, his voice low and gravelly as he beckoned the dragon girl back. "We don't want… to damage… the precious cargo." A couple of coughs later and the elderly Lord Slug resumed grinning at Kuriza after his female servant found her place far enough away from the stricken child. Upon watching the boy shoot a glare back at the winged, scantily dressed female with scales and spines, the warlord addressed him. "Magnificent… isn't she?"

Kuriza, huffing a few times, then looked back at the old man. "More like violent. You should really teach your servant some better manners."

Another weak laugh left the elder's lips, followed by another bout of coughs. "Apologies, little one. Being the primitive beast that she is, she… *gasp*… *cough-cough*… sometimes can't help herself… but be a little rough. You see… many years ago… while I was scouring the far reaches of the universe for followers… I found her drifting through the dark void of space, in the unknown regions. She was trapped inside a block of ice, sealed in the heart of a meteor… and locked in a state of deep hibernation. After I realized what she was … *gasp*… and the incredible power she possessed… I knew I had to make her mine. So I did." Gripping the chair he was sitting in as he struggled to breathe again, Lord Slug then relaxed as a rather dark twinkle occurred in his eye. "Her kind… though compassionate and intelligent in nature… *gasp*… possess primitive… and oftentimes overpowering animalistic tendencies. I simply overrode all her common, unnecessary sensibilities and kindness… *gasp*… and forced her dark instincts to take hold of her… to control her. Now she obeys only me… *cough-cough*… like a good, rabid dog. The perfect pawn." He then grinned as he raised a crooked finger and poked it at his temple. "After all… you'd be surprised at what a little… mental persuasion and torture… can do to one's mind."

Upon hearing the man speak and then looking across at the dragon girl, who he saw was glaring at him with that very ferocious scowl of hers, Kuriza's head then snapped into realization. This then prompted him to glare back at the old warlord.

"Is that what you brought me here for? To torture me? To brainwash me?" the child asked, his teeth gritted in rage.

At this, Lord Slug chortled in amusement. "Oh no. No, no, no. That… would be _far_ too easy." All of a sudden, the man raised his hand and waved it at Kuriza.

In that moment, the child found himself possessed by some sort of otherworldly, invisible force, which not only caused him to freeze up and stiffen, but caused his body to levitate off of the steps, up into the air, and then towards the seated Lord Slug. Panting in panic, the boy felt himself float into reach of the elderly man, allowing him to get a better look at the old, wrinkly face grinning at him from under the veil.

With the alien child now posed and prostrated before him like a statue, the old warlord then extended a hand and rested it gently against the boy's face. This action caused the youngster to twitch and his heart to panic, as he had no idea what the stranger was going to do.

In response to Kuriza's expression, the old Slug smirked. "With all the dark powers and sorcery that I possess… and the techniques that I stole from my race and countless others… it would be far too simple… *gasp*… to use them all on a child like you. That is why… *gasp*… I plan to use them on the one… who I consider a worthy challenge. Your father… the man said to be the most powerful… and feared tyrant in the whole universe," the warlord said, keeping his hand against Kuriza's face, before then releasing it. He then coughed as he saw Kuriza stare fearfully back at him. "He and his family… *gasp*… have ruled the cosmos for far too long. That is why… I aim to take their kingdom from them… by force."

Kuriza, shivering for a moment, then mustered the bravest grin he could. "You want to take my father and grandpa's empire for yourself? Ha! Good luck," the boy laughed, watching Slug's smile fade a little as he shot a glare back at him. "In that thin, decrepit body… I bet you can barely get out of that chair to take a piss, old man."

Upon sensing his subordinates immediately take offense to this, with the dragon girl also taking a step forward in outrage, Lord Slug glared back at the child for several moments. Upon which, a smirk suddenly returned to his wrinkly, old face. "A weakness… soon to be rectified." With a grunt, the man thrust his hand forward and telekinetically threw Kuriza towards his dragon servant- the female lizard catching the young prince and holding him above the ground in an arm lock. After Kuriza struggled fustily to try and get out, the old warlord then leaned back in his chair and gasped deeply. "My children… *gasp*… it is time. My ten year gestation period… has finally come to an end." He then grinned broadly. "It's time… for my rebirth."

All at once, every single soldier, servant, and worker in the thrown turned towards the elder in the chair and stood at attention. With the men assembled behind his thrown quickly moving onto the steps, all of them then placed a fist over their chest and bowed their heads to him, with the dragon girl holding Kuriza also lowering her head.

Lord Slug gasped as he felt his chest swell, "Recite our creed. What do we say to the strong?"

"_**Tell me your greatest strength, so I know how best to undermine you,"**_ the entire room suddenly spoke, alarming Kuriza as he heard the girl holding him also speak.

"What do we say… to the brave?"

"_**Tell me your greatest fear, so that I know what I must force you to face."**_

"What do we say to the weak?"

"_**Tell me what you crave, so that I might deny you."**_

"And what do we say… to our enemies?"

"_**Tell me what you cherish most… so I know what to take from you."**_

"And… what do we say… to those who wish us death?"

"_**Not today,"**_ the entire room chanted.

Then, after giving one last laugh, Lord Slug's throat suddenly began to swell, and a low gagging sound began to leave his lips. His eyes bugging out and cheeks puffing, the elderly man gripped his chair tightly as his body twitched and writhed against it. From that point everyone, including Kuriza, then watched in momentary disgust as the green man began to regurgitate something from his throat- a process which took an upward of a couple of seconds, but seemed to last for a much longer time.

Moments later, the elder warlord then threw his head forward and spat out a large, white egg, which dropped to the steps and bounced down them. Leaving a trail of green slime, the round object bounced down the metal platforms and onto the floor, rolling out into the open and stopping before a surprised Kuriza and his cold-looking captor. The rest of the room then watched the old warlord in the seat then flop back, his eyes going blank and form going limp as his energy signature vanished.

The collection of warriors and followers then stared down at the egg- watching and wondering what was going to happen. Then, as the silence continued to perforate the air, a low cracking and creaking began to echo out throughout the dark, metal hall. As the noise grew loud, Kuriza and the rest of the room saw the egg on the ground jitter and rattle, as something inside of it had begun to stir.

At first it seemed like nothing was going to happen. But then, a few seconds later, the top of the egg suddenly exploded as a small fist shot out of it. Green slime splattering everywhere, Kuriza then looked on in horror as the rest of the egg shattered and broke apart, expelling a small, green, humanoid creature with green antennae, and yellow, ribbed muscles on his arms, legs and torso. At first the entity flopped to the floor and dragged itself forward in a rather pitiful crawl. However, as seconds passed, the hall filled with soldiers and followers observed in awe as the small creature grew at an accelerated rate, quickly growing to the size of a child, then to that of a preteen, then an adolescent, before then shakily standing up and achieving the height of a full-grown man.

Kuriza then gaped in terror as he saw a newly hatched male alien, standing naked and dripping in green goo just a few feet from the egg of which he was born from.

The creature- dark green in color, bearing a tall, muscular figure, and Namekian in origin- stood staring across the room with his back turned to most of his audience. Taking several deep breaths as his lungs rapidly adjusted to his environment, the newborn alien then slowly lifted up his hands and gazed down at his slimy palms. Feeling the cool air hit his skin as he carefully tested his muscles, the figure then slowly turned around and marched back towards his throne.

A few paces later, he then slowly turned and walked over to where the terrified Kuriza was being held. When the dripping Namekian stopped before the fledgling ruler and allowed him to get a good look at his face, the little prince saw the chiseled, steel jaw and browline of a very familiar warlord staring back at him.

However, instead of having a wrinkly, grey, old face weathered by years of strife, Kuriza saw the face of a man who had regained his youth- and was looking even better than ever.

Upon allowing the child to process the feat that he'd witnessed, the slimy Namekian allowed a menacing grin to cross his lips, as he then lifted his hand, grabbed Kuriza by the skull, and leered at him venomously.

"Weakness rectified," Lord Slug spoke, his voice young and full of vigor, as he then removed his moist palm from the boy and stepped away. "I possess powers from my race that you and your family can't possibly comprehend… including the ability to cheat death. This makes me the only one worthy to rule this universe." He then raised his arms out, ignoring the liquid dripping off of him as he smirked at his prisoner. "My life spans millennia. Legions have risen to test me… yet my ascendance is inevitable. A day, a year, a millennium… it matters not. I hold the patience of stone and the will of the stars. Your striving is insignificant, for I am Lord Slug… _The Immortal Namekian_… the _Master of the Gathering Darkness_… and this world is mine to conquer."

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Author's Note:** And that's another chapter, setting up the rest of the story to come.

For those who are wondering, most of the characters featured in here aren't mine. Kuriza isn't mine. Deita isn't mine. Niyusu isn't mine. They can all be found on the dragonballz wiki.

The only OCs that I have (or significant ones at least), are the three that I have mentioned most prominent in this story. Two of whom can be found below:

XXX

Name: **Myra**

Epithet(s): _The Fair_, _Azure Beauty_, The Beauty

Gender: Female

Race: Hera-seijin

Home Planet: _Cooler Planet 23_ (CP-23), Hera colony world of Cooler's Empire

Occupation: Commando, Officer, Elite Guard

Rank: First Lieutenant

Hair Color: Orange

Skin Color: Blue

Age: 16 (First appearance)

Ki type: Basic, magical

Transformations: Super Hera (potentially)

Specialization(s): Mid to long range, energy shaping, chemical alterations, barrier magic

History: Originating from a colony world within the core systems of Cooler's branch of the _Planet Trade Organization_, Myra was inducted into the _Cooler Force_ when she was discovered to be a very powerful and gifted fighter- born with incredible levels of energy and fighting talent, even for a member of her race. Recommended by Captain Salza himself, Myra proved her worth to the cause by completing several incredibly difficult missions back-to-back, eventually shooting up through the ranks of Cooler's military and quickly becoming one of his topmost, elite warriors. Upon joining the ranks of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_, she became the first and- for the time- the only female member to ever reach the elite class in the Cold Force's history.

While sent on a routine reconnaissance mission to investigate an active distress beacon on the edge of Frieza's territory that was going on unanswered, Myra and her teammate Dore discovered Gohan, stranded on a desolate planet on the very outer rim edges of the Milky Way galaxy. Not wanting to leave him alone and immediately recognizing his potential, Myra and Dore brought him back to Cooler's ship, where he was promptly inserted into their ranks. In a few short weeks, she and Gohan became best friends and close companions.

As arguably the second/third strongest member in _Cooler's Armored Squadron_, Myra is obviously a very capable and skilled fighter- one of the top ten best in Cooler's forces. Regarded as the second smartest member in the group, Myra specializes in mid-to-long range attacks, using a highly acrobatic and graceful fighting style in combat that allows her to effectively attack the weak points of opponents- to either incapacitate or kill them. Being the technical-minded warrior that she is, the Hera is able to dissect techniques and abilities even when she's never seen or heard of them before in a matter of minutes, and as soon as she is able to figure out how they worked, she would then do everything she can to efficiently exploit their weaknesses. Doing so allows her to breakdown and defeat opponents that would normally be more physically powerful than her.

As a member of the Hera-seijin race, Myra possesses a very unique and potent ki signature, with also skills in her people's magic. Able to change the chemical properties of her ki, the Hera can alter the shape and form constructs out of her energy, able to forge weapons such as staffs, batons, spears, whips, blades and arrows, which she can use to attack her foes in a multitude of ways. She is also able to summon clouds of ki fibers capable of wrapping around opponents and binding them, effectively halting the movement of attacks and enemies, while also draining them of their energy. Though she hasn't demonstrated use of this skill yet due to its difficulty, the potential she possesses is definitely beyond question.

XXX

Name: **Quetzalcoatl, aka Lucoa**

Epithet(s): _The Last Dragon, The Ryujin, The Ultimate Predator_

Gender: Female

Race: Ryu-seijin (Ryujin for short)

Home Planet: Azrael (destroyed)

Occupation: Lord Slug's _Secret Weapon_, right-hand woman, bodyguard

Rank: Bodyguard

Hair Color: Orange

Skin Color: Maroon, brown

Age: 14 (First appearance)

Ki type: Magical

Transformations: Great Dragon Form, _Blaze Release_

Specialization(s): Close to long range, brawling, slashing, volcanic blasts and breath, armor

History: Much about Lucoa's history is shrouded in mystery. What is most known about her however is that her race- the _Ryujin_\- were regarded at one point as one of the most powerful races to ever be born in Universe 7. Dwelling in the furthest reaches of the cosmos tens of millions of years ago, members of this alien species were referred to as the _Ultimate Predators_\- apex animals capable of living for hundreds of years, naturally being born with accelerated cellular regeneration, and possessing enormous levels of energy reserves far exceeding that of any other creature in existence. Some say they are descendants of the ancient guardians of the Super Dragon Balls from millennia ago. Other stories say they were creatures created by a malevolent race in an attempt to produce a living embodiment of Super Shenron. Whatever their story, their legend was such that even though encountering a single member of their race was rare, it is said that whenever a Ryujin arrived on a populated planet- famine, chaos, and devastation of terrifying levels would soon follow. They were so deadly in fact that the _**God of Destruction**_\- _**Beerus**_\- viewing their race as a threat to all other forms of life at the time, took it upon himself to wipe them and their planet from existence. This in itself speaks volumes as to how capable these ancient aliens actually were.

While it was thought that the Ryujin were rendered extinct long ago by the Great Destroyer, at some point in the last decade, Lord Slug discovered Lucoa's body entombed and frozen in a meteorite drifting through the cold depths of the cosmos. Upon thawing her out and reviving her, the Super Namekian immediately saw the levels of untapped, bottomless potential she possessed, and quickly went out of his way to make her his protector and bodyguard. Upon having her mind altered and brainwashed, Lucoa immediately swore herself into his servitude.

Though still incredibly young and only glimpsed during her raid of Frieza's vessel, Lucoa's power is certainly not one to be underestimated. Possessing durability and an armored, scaled body capable of shrugging off laser and blaster fire from dozens of adversaries, Lucoa demonstrated her fighting potential by tearing through waves of Frieza's soldiers with no effort whatsoever. She was even able to knock Zarbon and Dodoria unconscious by simply knocking down a door, and smash a hastily transformed Final Form Frieza across the bridge of his vessel- despite only reaching a third or half his strength. After kidnapping his son, Kuriza, the dragon girl then willingly ejected them both into space- showing that she is also capable of surviving in a vacuum.

In terms of overall fighting skill, potential, and personality, she is exactly identical to Gohan. Both of them are wild children that possess enormous amounts of power and possibility for growth, both of them have a naturally kind, caring nature towards other lifeforms, both of them are expert fighters, and both of them crave a good challenge to test their skills. The similarities between them are so prominent that upon witnessing the girl fighting in the footage of her, the demi-Saiyan immediately wanted to meet and battle her- a statement which surprised all of his teammates at his willingness to tackle such a monster.


	18. Vegeta Saga - Operation Blaze

**Author's Note:** And the defining chapter before the epic battles on both Earth and Lord Slug's planet.

* * *

**Dragonball Z**

_**Alter Age**_

_Operation Blaze_

(Three days later)

(Otherworld)

"Alright! Time to get myself ready for my return to Earth!" the cheerful voice of an incredibly excited and completely re-energized Goku filled the air, as the boisterous young man hopped up and down on the front lawn of his master's domicile. Dropping back down to ground after a remarkable twenty meter jump, the young adult with the halo floating over his head then performed a series of his signature leg stretches- flexing from one side to the next while stretching out his calves and hamstrings.

Given the current state of the tiny planet upon which he'd been training- the holes, the fissures, the burns and skid marks in the soil, as well as the broken trees all over- it was clear that his last day of exercising on this tiny ball floating in the heavens had been a highly vigorous one.

Of course, even though Goku had been bouncing off the walls during the lead up to his epic return to Earth and his anticipated battle against his new foes, for some reason King Kai had been acting incredibly nervous and distracted in the last couple of days. Though the full-blooded Saiyan adult had felt the distinct urge to ask his master about what was troubling him upon seeing him pacing around the open area of his home planet, the hero of Earth found himself too preoccupied with polishing up his use of the last technique his instructor had passed on to him- the _**Genkidama**_ (Spirit Bomb).

His continued practice with the technique, as well as the others over the last few days, meant that Goku had not had much time to address the issues of concentration with his master. Even now as he was stretching and pumping himself up for his upcoming confrontation, the man-child of a warrior was vaguely aware of the troubled air surrounding the overseer of his side of space. The man was standing off to the side, with his hands behind his back, and an intense look of focus on his face as his antennae twitched in the air in front of him.

As Goku performed a series of handstand pushups to get his arms working, an observing Bubbles and Gregory could be seen floating and sitting respectively alongside him.

"You've got this, Goku," the little cricket chirped, at the same time raising his fists. "Those Saiyans that are coming don't stand a chance!"

Bubbles voiced his encouragement by waving his hands in the air and hopping around on the spot, making the typical noises you'd expect from a happy monkey.

As a follow up, Gregory then gave the man a thumbs-up. "Give them one from us, okay?"

Goku then shot them both his signature grin. "Thanks, guys. I promise I won't let any of you down." It was at this point that the young adult suddenly clicked on something, which had him look up momentarily in thought. "Hm… come to think of it… I wonder how strong Piccolo and the others have gotten while I've been away this whole time? I'm sure they must've made some killer progress up at Kami's place over the last several months."

While Bubbles scratched his head, the floating cricket leaned forward and grinned. "I guess you're just going to have to get down there and find out for yourself, huh? See how your friends are doing."

Processing this, Goku then cracked a big smile and grinned. "Oh yeah. True." Having a bit of a laugh at his spacing out on that realization, the adult warrior then set his hands on his hips and tilted his head across the planet's curvature. "I also can't help but think how much stronger Gohan has gotten since the last time I checked up on him. From what I saw about a month ago, he's been doing pretty well where he is. _More_ than well, in fact."

Gregory blinked. "You mean hanging out with Cooler's crew?"

"Yeah. Those guys," Goku said, pointing across at the little insect happily. "My boy has been going out on so many adventures with his newfound friends, I bet he hasn't even thought about coming home yet. He must be having the time of his life- traveling across the stars, rescuing planets, fighting bad guys, exploring new places…"

"He really is moving up in the universe, huh?" Gregory asked, at the same time putting on an amused smile. "And to think he's only five years old."

This remark caused Goku to laugh. "No kidding. Even after only being with Cooler's group for a year, Gohan has made so many leaps and bounds in his development, I can't even imagine how much more powerful he's become. Not to mention the feats he's been able to achieve. And it was _my _boy that did all that." At that point, a grin as wide as any the Saiyan had ever had spread across his lips, clearly showing exactly what he was feeling in that moment. "I'm so proud of him. I only wish that I could be down there with him to cheer him on and support him."

Now it was Gregory's turn to chuckle- the little cricket setting his pincers on his hips and giving the Saiyan a look of amusement. "You mean you want to join in on his adventures?"

"Haha. That to," Goku chuckled, scratching the back of his head sheepishly before smiling. "But I guess reuniting with him is going to have to wait a little while. First I have to get back home and take care of these Saiyans first. No doubt my friends are going to need all the help that they can get." With that said, the hero of Earth then turned to face his master King Kai. "Yeah. I think I'd better get in touch with Master Roshi and Bulma. See how things are coming along." He then began walking over to his teacher, who he could see had his head down and hands clenched behind his back. "What do you think, King Kai?"

When the Saiyan moved to stand beside his mentor, the spiky haired, kind-hearted and thoughtful hero suddenly noticed the troubled look on his teacher's face. Appearing momentarily taken aback, the protector of Earth and parent then slowly reached over, as if to tap the short man on the shoulder.

Goku only stopped when he heard the low voice of King Kai speak up. "No… no, no, no… this is bad. This is very, _very_ bad…"

Hearing these words come from his wise and seemingly all-knowing mentor had Goku stop mid-reach and bring his hand back. "Uh… King Kai? Are you alright?" the parent asked, a look of uncertainty coming over his own expression. "What's going on?"

Antenna twitching, the Saiyan's otherworldly mentor then glanced at him through his circular sunglasses. "A great and terrible darkness has descended upon my quadrant, Goku. An evil, malicious force unlike anything I've ever felt before."

Gulping somewhat nervously, Goku pulled back while his master remained shivering in place. "W-What kind of force are you talking about? A person?"

Taking a deep, steady breath, the martial arts master glanced ahead of him thoughtfully. "Worse. A demon… one born of the planet Namek- the home world of your old rival, Piccolo, and the guardian of Earth, Kami." King Kai narrowed his eyes as his expression turned to steel. "He calls himself Lord Slug… a mutant Namekian who was conceived and raised in the cold, dark depths of the unknown regions of space, beyond the outer reaches of the known quadrants. Somehow this nomadic warrior has managed to assemble an army of powerful aliens under his banner and has declared war upon the Frieza family's Empire."

Not really grasping some of the details given to him by the Kai, there were a few words that stood out to the older Saiyan. These words had Goku gulp nervously. "War? Against the Frieza family? That… That doesn't sound good."

"Oh, it's not good at all, Goku. Far from it," King Kai whispered, before turning towards him with a nervous look on his face. "There are few beings in the universe who possess as much power and influence as the members of the Frieza family. Neither you, your friends, nor the Saiyans approaching your adoptive home planet can even come close to touching the strength that the Emperor and his father hold. Yet this fiend- this Namekian from the dark regions- has encroached upon their domain and challenged the members of the Empire to a battle. Another super power going into conflict against the Frieza family could throw the entire foundation of the universe into chaos, threatening not only other innocent worlds, but the Earth as well."

Goku, feeling his heart beginning to hammer hard against his chest, clenched his fists and moved forward in panic. "W-Well… what can _I_ do to help? Maybe there's something I can do to sort things out, or try and stop this from happening."

"At this point, there's absolutely nothing you can do to help, Goku. Compared to Frieza and Lord Slug, you're just a fly trying to scratch the backs of a pair of angry, bull elephants. You'd just be swatted aside like the countless other beings who have tried to stand up to these tyrants," King Kai replied, causing the Saiyan to deflate almost immediately. To hammer the knife even further in, his teacher continued on. "This Lord Slug is especially dangerous. He has defiled the very laws of nature and bent the rules of life and death to his will. What's more, this mutant Namekian has perverted the very sanctity of mortal existence with his sorcery and acquired powers that should never have found its way into his hands. No ordinary fighter can hope to bring him down. However… there is one person that has a chance of halting this maniacal invader and preventing the entire cosmos from falling into disarray. Your son- Gohan."

Goku balked at hearing this. "M-My son?"

"Yes," King Kai nodded, at the same time looking up at his student with a renewed sense of energy. "He and his friends in the Cooler Force are currently moving across the quadrant to intercept Lord Slug's forces and stop this evil warlord from carrying out his plans. I am certain that they are the only ones with strength enough to be able to pull off such a feat and come out alive. If we were to interfere with them at this juncture… I'm afraid we might be dooming our entire space to a period of turmoil and destruction the likes of which not seen since Grand Emperor Blizzard's _Great Schism_ over a million years ago."

Upon processing this and hearing that it was his boy that was stepping up to face such a terrifying threat, Goku then nodded in understanding. "You're saying that we should let him stay where he is? To fight alongside his friends?"

King Kai inhaled deeply. "I know it's not what you want to hear, my friend… but I fear we have no other choice. Should the Cooler Force fail to stop Lord Slug's insidious plot to take over the galaxies in my sector, the situation could grow even more chaotic than it already is… to the point that no one in the universe will be able to stop him." Facing his student fully, the great martial arts teacher then puffed his chest out and craned his head up towards the young Saiyan male. "I sense that this is only the beginning of many more conflicts to come. Events in the world of the living have taken a drastic turn for the worse… and I have a feeling that darker days are waiting over the horizon. You and your friends are likely to face even greater evils beyond the threat of the Saiyans. So when you get back to Earth and meet up with your loved ones, I advise that you tell all of them to be prepared… as the only way to face these dangers is together."

Goku took all of this to great heart and thought. With his gaze casting downwards, a very serious mold came over his face, telling the otherworldly master that his student was now in a deep state of meditation. As his charcoal eyes searched the space in front of him, contemplating the news and premonitions shared to him by his mentor, the Saiyan male eventually reached a conclusion, which then compelled him to clench his fists and look up at him.

"The Saiyans should be arriving on Earth anytime now, right?" When he saw the Kai nod, the Saiyan frowned. "King Kai… I have a favor to ask of you."

"Yes. What is it?"

OOO

(A few minutes later)

(Onboard the _Comet_)

Having spent the better part of his morning preparing inside his compartment onboard the ship that'd become more or less his bedroom this past year, Gohan could be found sitting atop his bunk with his legs crossed and his mind and body set in a meditative position. With his tail wagging behind him in a calm manner as he sat on his mattress wearing only his purple spandex suit, it was clear that he was immersed in a state of deep concentration and thought.

As the serenity of his environment surrounded him and as his fingers remained pressed together in a seal, it first appeared that nothing was going to rouse him from his doze. But then, from the silence of his room, the child suddenly heard a familiar voice speak to him in the back of his head, which seemed to echo through his ears and off of all the walls surrounding him.

"_**Gohan. Can you hear me?"**_

Little charcoal eyes blinking wide awake, the five and a half year old youngster felt his head snap around him as he heard the voice of the adult male reverberate through the clouds of mind. At first Gohan was completely stumped, as the last thing he was expecting to come blaring through the thickness of his head was another person. But upon stretching out with his senses and concentrating on the tone he was now receiving, the child was suddenly able to put a face to the voice.

It was that of a person he hadn't seen in a long time, yet one that was all too familiar to him.

"D-Dad? Is… Is that you?" Gohan whispered, sitting up straighter as his legs promptly uncrossed. When he hopped off of his bed, he then turned his head towards the ceiling- which was the direction he was hearing the voice coming from, before a grin of delight crossed his lips. "Dad!"

He then heard the man chuckle before replying, _**"Man, it's good to hear your voice again, son."**_

"Yeah! Yours too, dad," Gohan chirped back, before a puzzled look crossed his bright face. "B-But… how are you speaking to me right now? Are you… using some kind of telepathy?"

An amused murmur left his parent's lips before his voice came echoing back in. _**"Something like that. Heheh." **_There was a moment of pause in which the father allowed his son to process fully what was going on, a couple seconds before Goku spoke up again. _**"I know I should've contacted you sooner, son. But I've just been so caught up with training that I lost track of time. See, there's a couple of really strong, really bad Saiyans coming to attack Earth… and I've spent all of this past year getting ready to face them."**_

Gohan, not really expecting to hear this, blinked in realization. "What? More Saiyans? Coming to Earth? From where?"

"_**From what I heard from King Kai, they're both soldiers from Frieza's Empire," **_his father answered.

It took a few seconds of pondering on the demi-Saiyan's part, but after rolling through the mental list he had on hand, Gohan eventually figured out who his dad was referring to. "Vegeta and Nappa… Raditz's friends…"

"_**Yes,"**_ Goku answered with a nod. _**"Apparently the two of them heard about the dragon balls from your uncle and are coming to Earth to get them. But that's not going to happen, because my friends and I are going to stop them."**_

Clenching his fists tightly, the child glared up at the ceiling where his father's voice was coming from- though he knew it was echoing from further beyond it. "How long have you got? Who's going to fight them? Krillin-san? Roshi-san? Launch-san?"

At around the time Gohan asked this question, the door to his bedroom suddenly gave a hiss as it was opened from the other side, and the two distinct forms of both Myra and Dore strolled into his sanctuary. When the latter was about to announce their presence in his typical, booming voice, both he and his female teammate stopped when they saw their little friend was staring up at the ceiling with an obviously troubled look on his face. As Myra was about to ask what was going on with her best friend, both she and the Beppa-seijin heard a second voice reverberate around the room- one that nearly had the two of them jump out of their skins.

"_**I don't have much time to explain,"**_ Goku's voice echoed out again, causing Gohan to deflate while his two teammates stood frozen in the doorway. _**"Look, son. I know that you're on your way to fight a really big battle right now. The opponent you're about to face, Lord Slug… I have to let you know that he's an incredibly powerful and dangerous man- a Namekian nomad that can control magic and energy. He's about as dangerous as any alien you'll ever encounter."**_

Gohan, hearing the topic shift over to his present situation, then steeled when he heard his father's words of warning and nodded. "Yeah. I know. The guy declared war against the Frieza Force and the rest of the Cold Empire. He even kidnapped Frieza's son. We're going in to rescue him."

"_**Hm. Then the situation is as bad as King Kai said it was,"**_ Goku replied, mostly to himself, before once again addressing his little boy. _**"Do you think you'll be able to stop him?"**_

Contemplating this question for a moment and clenching his fists, Gohan quickly assessed his current level of ability against the numbers that he was briefed on during the meeting some hours ago. Upon which he then looked back up to the roof once more. "I think so. But it's not going to be easy."

At this, the child then sensed his father smile to him as he spoke his next words. _**"Then I wish you the best of luck,"**_ Goku answered, before a softer string of words followed shortly afterwards. _**"Son… I want you to know that your mother and I love you very much… and that we miss you a lot. Don't worry about what's happening at home. It'll be alright. Just make sure you win your fight and come back safe and sound. I hope we'll get to see you again soon."**_

His eyes shimmering with a mixture of joy and sadness, Gohan beamed before reaching up with his hand and wiping his cheek. "Yeah. Me too, dad."

"_**I have to go now. Stay strong, be smart… and make sure to give those bad guys hell. I know you can do it. I believe in you," **_Goku stated, expressing his full and unbridled faith in his boy, and stopping for a moment to allow a sniffle to go under the radar. Of course, due to the fact he was still telepathically connected to his boy, Gohan was able to hear it, which in turn had the two older warriors listening tense up emotionally. _**"See you later, son."**_

And with that, the transmission between the father and child ended, leaving Gohan standing there and staring up at the white of his ceiling.

Upon allowing a few moments for his feelings in that scene to come full circle, the hybrid allowed his arms to drop back to his sides and his head to lower. Taking a deep, steady breath to calm the raging storm of emotions flooding through him, Gohan then took notice of Dore and Myra standing in his doorway and looked across at them to see the pair of elite soldiers watching him carefully.

When Dore looked as though he was about to make a comment, he then stopped when Myra reached up with a hand and knocked her knuckles against his armor. With the mood still fresh, the Hera-seijin then took a few paces forward and spoke to her friend with a smile- her eyes filled with a warmth that she only ever shared with her best friend.

"Was that who I think it was?" Myra asked, as if the entire situation didn't come as any sort of surprise. Telepathy was of course a well-documented ability within the Cooler Force, as there were several alien species that were capable of it.

Gohan, allowing a small smile to tug at his lips, nodded to his friend. "Yeah. It was."

Myra beamed warmly as she stopped in front of the young warrior. "Looks like your parents are watching out for you. Even when you're a whole universe apart, your father was still able to take the time and effort to reach out and contact you. I bet you must be happy." She didn't need her query to be answered, as the look on Gohan's face was more than enough to confirm her suspicions.

That smile he wore and that shine in his eyes was just too hard to ignore. It actually made Myra's heart flutter.

Feeling a small measure of concern overcome him, the Beppa-seijin in the back stepped into his room. "That guy mentioned something about your home planet. Is there something happening there? Are your friends okay?"

Looking between his friends, the child Saiyan grinned. "Don't worry. Everything's fine. My father will be able to handle it. After all, he's one of the strongest people I know- next to you guys." When he saw his teammates relax somewhat and share relieved looks with him, Gohan's expression then became serious once again as he faced his companions bravely. "Is it time yet?"

Quickly remembering why they'd come here, Myra's own face became stern as a nod soon followed. "We'll be at the location of Lord Slug's planet in roughly thirty ticks." She then smirked when she sensed her friend's excitement jump. "Gear up."

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Back on Earth)

Far away from the mainland, on the island famously owned by the Turtle Hermit- Master Roshi- a ritual as mystical as any in Earth's long history was currently underway. As a brilliant, golden glow began to reverberate from the island's small beach, the sky across the entire planet began to darken, black clouds formed in place of a clear blue sky, and claps of thunder began to ring out as bolts of lightning shot down from the heavens.

From the way the earth trembled and the sky became completely blanketed in smog, it was almost like a great cataclysm was about to unfold. However this was certainly not the case, as several moments after the black clouds rolled in from out of thin air, a golden mass of light suddenly shot out of the strobe of seven, glowing orbs beating brilliantly alongside the pink, wooden building known as _Kame House_. The bolt arced into the clouds, coiling and twisting through the air in multiple directions, moments before its form took shape and solidified.

1When the summoning was completed, Master Roshi, Puar, Oolong, and a sensibly dressed Bulma could be seen gazing up at the majestic form of Shenron- the mystical, oriental dragon of legend that could only be summoned from the dragon balls.

A throaty growl emanated from the beast's throat as his head floated down towards the individuals that summoned him. As soon as his red eyes landed on them, the dragon inhaled deeply and spoke. _**"I am the Eternal Dragon. State your wish and I shall grant it."**_

Bulma, feeling as though she'll never get tired of seeing the great dragon rise from the dragon balls, then whispered over to the others. "Okay. So what do we do from here?"

"Hmm… that's a good question," Master Roshi murmured to himself while furrowing his brow thoughtfully. "To be honest, even after all these months of contemplating, I still haven't been able to decide who we should use the wish for."

"Well… maybe we can try _this_ first," Oolong whispered back, drawing the others' attention over to him. Gulping nervously at the sight of the creature's overwhelming, majestic form towering over them, the pig in the shirt and overalls cleared his throat before speaking up to the dragon. "Um. Excuse me, Mr. Shenron, sir… i-if it isn't too much trouble… could you possibly kill the two Saiyans that are on their way to Earth?"

Hair bristling, Bulma glared down at the pig. "Hey, Oolong! That's not part of the plan! What about wishing Goku back to life? Or wishing his son back to Earth?"

Freaking out a little, the talking swine shot a look back at the woman. "Hey! It's worth a shot! We can always wish Goku and Gohan back next time and have the dragon save the world right now! What's the big deal in trying something new?"

A groan from the towering Shenron soon stopped whatever argument was about to unfold between the two friends. _**"Hmm… I'm afraid your wish cannot be granted. I'm unable to grant wishes that exceeds the power of my creator, the Guardian of the Earth… and these Saiyans are far more powerful than Kami. Ask another wish."**_

Oolong snapped his fingers. "Drats."

"Well then… I guess it's down to two options then," Bulma sighed, while simultaneously setting a hand on her hip as she looked down thoughtfully. "Wish back Goku or wish back his little boy, Gohan." After a moment, the scientist got a bit of an idea, which then prompted her to look up at the giant, floating reptile and ask him straight up. "Hey! Is it possible for you to bring a friend back to life AND bring back his son from the other side of the universe? Like… can we wish for these two people to be alive and well in front of us?"

Shenron, narrowing his eyes and giving out a low groan, then shook his head slightly in a rather irritated manner. _**"No. The circumstances of one do no coincide with the other, therefore to bring both individuals back would count as two separate requests. Such a wish is beyond the conditions of my power to grant."**_

As a result Master Roshi gave out a low sigh, while at the same time shaking his head at the limitations of the dragon's abilities. "Shame. And I was really hoping we could make it a two-part request." After giving it another few moments, the bearded male then looked across at the others. "Goku did say to do what we thought was best. But even now, I'm still at a complete loss."

Following this brief discussion, the group felt themselves reach a new low. A long pause soon followed, in which the supporting members of the Dragon Team began meditating over the course of action that they should take. In all honesty, it was an incredibly vexing and difficult decision that they'd been burdened with.

But before either of them could turn their attention back to Shenron and ask him more about the particulars of his abilities, a familiar voice suddenly echoed loudly through their heads.

"_**Hold on a second guys! Wait!"**_

The voice almost causing all four people on the beach to jump out of their skins, Puar, Oolong, Bulma and Master Roshi then began looking around in alarm. When the pounding of their hearts in their ears returned to their chests and the group calmed down, the bluenette scientist quickly turned her head skywards and spoke towards the person that was addressing them.

"G-Goku?" Bulma asked, a smile quickly appearing over her lips as she clenched her fists excitedly. "Goku! Is that you?! Great timing!"

"_**Haha, it's good to hear from you again, Bulma. Listen guys, I know this might sound a little strange, but don't wish my son back to Earth just yet. Wish me back to life first,"**_ the Saiyan stated, his tone rushed and frantic.

Balking a little in confusion, the support members of the Z-fighter crew looked around at one another. Upon seeing the others shrug, Puar looked up at the sky and squeaked. "B-But why, Goku?"

"Isn't making sure your son is back safe and sound more important right now?" Master Roshi asked.

"_**Look, I'll explain everything to you guys later, but I need you to wish me back to life so I can go and join the others,"**_ the young man replied, his voice easing up a little and allowing him time to breathe. _**"I have to help them stop these Saiyans from destroying the planet… and I think I know a way how without fighting them."**_

Bulma, Master Roshi and Oolong all appeared stunned by this news- the three of them once again sharing looks. This time though their expressions were ones of disbelief and shock.

"Goku having a plan that doesn't involve fighting?" Oolong asked. "That's a new one."

"Y-Yeah," Bulma stuttered, before eventually realizing time was wasting and quickly turning back to the sky. "Okay, Goku. We'll do it. But you'd better get back down here, pronto! Those Saiyans might be touching down at any minute!"

"_**Will do! I'm on my way! Thanks guys!"**_

The moment they heard their friend's voice fade out, Master Roshi then turned his attention to Shenron- who he could see was floating their and waiting patiently for the group to finish their delegations. With their decision finally made, the elderly hermit took a deep breath before extending his hands out. "We've decided… we want to wish our friend Goku back to life."

Finally hearing their request, Shenron nodded. _**"So be it. Your wish shall be granted,"**_ the dragon replied, his eyes flashing a brilliant red as his magical powers took effect. The sky rumbled and the clouds flashed as lightning bolts danced around. A few seconds of feeling the atmosphere swirl around them, the tense group of adventurers then heard the dragon growl, before the dragon balls his form was projecting from began to flash and crackle brightly. _**"There. The deed is done. I bid you farewell."**_

After several more flashes rang out in rapid succession, a blinding explosion of light then filled the air, causing Bulma and the others to shield their eyes as they watched the dragon's immense form dissipate, and the seven, orange spheres rocket up into the sky. A split second after reaching a high enough altitude, the mystical orbs were then sent shooting across the planet in different directions, leaving golden trails of light in their wake.

In that moment, everyone across the globe watched as the sky instantaneously returned to normal, with the Z-fighters in particular taking notice of the vanishing clouds. Now scattered across the eastern countryside, the warriors that'd spent the last several months training up on Kami's Lookout could be found in various states of preparation and battle readiness.

Tien and Chiaotzu were currently standing together on a wild stretch of grassland, working out the finer details of their techniques, while at the same time keeping a watchful eye on the horizon for any peculiar anomalies. Yamcha meanwhile was out beside a mountain lake many miles away, absorbing the scenery around him and thinking about how best to respond to the coming threat. When the trio saw the black in the sky fade, they knew immediately what must've happened.

Launch on the other hand was shacked up in a far off country town away from the rest of the men, cleaning her guns and checking her custom-made ammo behind a bar- right next to her treasured jet bike. Still adorned in her weighed bands, boots, and top, the woman in the black spandex, white singlet, and brown leather jacket frowned as she glanced up at the now clear blue sky- as she guessed that Master Roshi and Bulma had finished making their request upon the dragon.

Upon feeling the sun beating down on her once more, the blonde with the red bow could only grunt, before giving out a short, simple remark. "I guess it's time." She then finished by snap-loading her lever action shotgun and shoving it into her leg holster.

As for Krillin, the short martial artist was currently wandering about a large, bamboo forest in the eastern hills, changing out of his weighted gear and into his more comfortable gi. When he saw the black clouds shift into nothing and give way to the open blue once more, the man cracked a smile, as he had a gut feeling his best friend was on his way home.

Chi-Chi, having decided to squeeze in one last training session up in Mount Paozu, was standing atop the peak of a rocky outcrop overlooking her homeland. Upon witnessing the change in the sky from dark to light, the raven haired woman in the blue qi pao battle dress, and red leg and wrist weights, narrowed her eyes on the horizon. Nodding in understanding, she then turned and called across the range of her estate. "NIMBUUUUS!"

And as for Piccolo and Raditz, both of the brooding fighters were down on the planet as well in the central mountains- dozens of miles out from east city. Using the incoming ki signatures of Vegeta and Nappa to track their path to their most likely landing spot, the two powerful warriors were both standing and sitting respectively atop of a grassy tor in the middle of nowhere.

With the wind whipping at both of them and keeping them wide awake, the pair immediately felt a change in the air. It was one that had both their bodies and stomachs tense, as they knew that the time for battle was almost upon them.

Eyes glancing up towards the white clouds above, Raditz- wearing the same Saiyan battle armor he'd arrived on the planet, repaired and converted into a vest, as well as a pair of black spandex pants and his brother's trademark blue boots- frowned when his cracked scouter picked up the two pods on approach.

"They're coming. Just past the moon's orbit," he said, remaining where he was as he glared up at the sky.

Piccolo, standing nearby, narrowed his eyes. "Hopefully Goku will be able to make it in time to join us. I can tell this isn't going to be an easy fight." He then glanced over his shoulder and back at the Saiyan sitting on the rock. "Do you have any problems taking down your old teammates?"

Reaching up and removing his damaged, muted device, Raditz then shoved it into his pocket and stood up. "None at all."

As a result, the Namekian nodded. "Good."

XXX

(Meanwhile)

(Across the quadrant)

Back onboard the mobile, ice planet fortress and dreadnaught _**Eclipse-1**_, which was currently orbiting Star 19 of Galaxy NGC-5866, the entire planet seemed completely still and lifeless. The frost-covered, valley and mountain dotted surface, protected by a thick level of black clouds, continued to float in geosynchronous orbit of the system's main planet, while at the same time being surrounded by a collection of about three moons. Given its current placement, the battleship appeared like any other world in that sector- hardly something anyone would take notice of.

However, down on the ice plains just north of the planet's equator, the large, black saucer serving as the planet's citadel and command center, was currently playing host to a most unpleasant horde of villains. Through the winding corridors and various living chambers and facilities making up the interior of the craft wedged deep into the planet's icy ground, and situated at the end of the main hall, a conference was currently being held between the commanders of the civilization and their infamous leader.

Lord Slug- having regained his youth via a soul transfer to a newly born body- had had his old corpse removed and was now sitting in his throne, dressed in a brand new outfit. Having removed the black hooded cloak that he'd previously used to conceal his identity, as well as the oxygen tanks that helped him to breathe, the warlord was now adorned in a purple suit that covered his center mass and legs, a thick yellow coat over it, a pair of orange boots, and leather belts crossing over the front of his top- secured in the center by gold buckle and blue gem. Furthermore, the man had a thick orange scarf wrapped around his neck, with a cape that went over his right side, giving him an air of authority and prominence.

Having gotten comfortable in his new body, the man was now in the process of running a stress test on his limbs- flexing his left hand and telekinetically controlling two orange balls of ki that were currently orbiting around his golden throne. As he was doing this, the Namekian warlord in the now taller, thinner, and physically imposing body observed out of the corner of his eye as his henchmen- Angila and Medamatcha- went about chaining Frieza's son, Kuriza, to the chair next to him.

Using energy restraining bolts to make sure that the boy couldn't use his power to escape, the pair of Demon Clansmen then stepped away and watched the boy attempt to yank himself out of the chair. But due to the cuffs on his wrists and ankles holding him down, this was a futile effort.

Seeing the miniature form of a child resembling First Form Frieza struggling to break out of the seat caused the little, toad-like Medamatcha to snicker as his big, yellow eyes watched the boy writhe. "Haha! Struggle all you want, kid. You're never breaking out of that seat."

"Ah, let him do what he wants," the tall, pale-skinned blonde demon in Ancient Greek Style clothes and purple cape chuckled, at the same time folding his arms. "I'm sure he'll get the message sooner or later. Once he realizes his predicament, as well as how outmatched he is, he'll have no choice but to simmer down."

Grunting as he pulled at his arms and legs, the youngster with the ribbed skin and nut-shaped cranium bared his teeth at the pair of demons smirking at him and barked. "Just you guys wait! As soon as my dad gets here, he's going to murder all of you and incinerate this entire planet!"

While Angila and Medamatcha chuckled, the large, hulking form of Commander Zeeun, who was standing beside the computer terminals on the main floor below, grinned up at the youngster. "In your dreams, kid. If you haven't realized it already, your father no longer has the manpower or the battle strength to stand up to us. Not anymore."

"Now that we've decimated his combined fleet and wrecked his capital ship, your dear old pop is going to have a very difficult time mustering the support he needs to come and rescue you," the burly, armored form of the winged henchman- Wings- who was standing beside his master's throne on the far side, also remarked. "If he wants to see his sweet boy alive and well, he's going to have to agree to our terms."

Kuriza, narrowing his eyes on the fat, armored demon standing beside his boss- who he noticed didn't look like he was paying any attention to the conversation- the child snarled. "My father will never agree to your demands. Not in this life… or the next…" He then looked down and clenched his fists, his expression becoming one of frustration and disappointment. "That's just the kind of man he is. Cruel… selfish… never listens to the plights of others…"

Hearing this, Angila felt his own smile vanish and a rather perturbed expression come into play. "Well, if that's the case, then Lord Frieza is never going to see his son ever again." After seeing the boy flinch at his statement, the man in the tunic and cape then turned away while giving the child in the prison seat a hard look. "We're taking this universe from him one way or another- and both ways are going to involve someone dying a gruesome and horrible death. So you'd better pray that he makes the right choice, because I highly doubt anyone else is coming to save you."

It was an impactful statement, one made more poignant by the sullen look that came over Kuriza's face and the harsh glares he received from all the aliens standing around him. Lord Slug, having been listening to the discussion the entire time as he telekinetically manipulated the two spheres of ki he created, allowed an amused smirk to remain stretched across his lips as he shot the boy a sinister look.

The room from that point fell silent- save for the beeping and tapping of the aliens working at the two computer stations on either side of the hallway, and the humming of Lord Slug's energy balls hovering around his throne. The henchmen and commanders of the evil force in the meantime remained exactly where they were; with Angila and Medamatcha posted on the steps overlooking Kuriza's chair, Zeeun silently observing from his post by the hooded aliens working the terminals, Wings setup by his master's side, and the dragon girl- Lucoa- standing at the bottom of the throne's platform and listening to the group's conversation from afar.

When you considered everything that'd happened up until this point and the position that Kuriza was currently trapped in, it looked like his situation was completely hopeless. For but a moment, the young princeling thought that he was never getting out of here- and that he was going to die at the hands of these demonic aliens.

But then, just as Kuriza was on the verge of accepting his utter defeat, an alarm blared from one of the computer stations nearby, which caused all eyes to snap towards the terminal in question.

The small, hooded alien working the computer straightened up and called out over the loud beeping from his desk. "Sire! We have incoming!"

Commander Zeeun spun around and looked down at his subordinate. "Report, Gyoshu. What is it?"

"Long range motion sensors have detected a small object that just emerged from hyperspace," the diminutive alien replied, at the same time typing into the keyboard to see if he can bring up the invader and boost the transmission. "The vessel is using a tier 7 cloaking device to nullify the radar. I can't quite make it out." He then moved over and adjusted one of the dials using the knob. "I'll try recalibrating the systems."

Lord Slug, hearing this, clenched his open left hand and caused the two orange balls of energy orbiting his head to dissipate instantaneously. An excited grin then tugged at his lips. "Finally."

As Kuriza and the rest of the henchmen continued to watch as Gyoshu worked furiously at his station in an attempt to isolate the newcomer, Lucoa- who had remained completely statuesque and silent up until this point- suddenly felt her ears twitch and turned her attention upwards. Seconds later, after glaring up at the ceiling for a moment in alarm, the dragon girl's spines running along her back sharply stood on end as she hastily moved out into the center of the hall. Taking a very animalistic, defensive stance, the reptilian beauty then began to growl in a low, hostile tone, her teeth baring and claws clenching as she concentrated all of her attention on the dangerous presence that'd just entered her range.

Lord Slug's commanders all turned to the humanoid dragon, with Angila appearing especially surprised by the female's aggressive, very dog-like reaction. "Lucoa? What's wrong?"

Observing his ally's behavior and hearing her growl reverberate through the room, Commander Zeeun frowned in a troubled manner, as he quickly guessed as to what may have gotten her so riled up. "She's sensed something. Something powerful."

Immediately feeling concerned, the hunched-over Medamatcha turned to the horned officer and spoke in his typical, squeaky voice. "Is it Lord Frieza? Has he come?"

"I don't think so," Zeeun answered while shaking his head. He then turned back to the computer that Gyoshu was working on and watched his subordinate work.

About a few seconds later, as Lucoa continued to growl at the ceiling, the small, hooded alien at the terminal then gave an exclamation of triumph and looked up at his screen. "I got it! The reading is faint, but I was able to isolate the signal. Bringing the intruder up onto the hologram now." Following a quick key shift, the group then focused their attention on the floor in front of the throne's steps, where they saw a couple of panels open and a large, dome-like object protrude from the tiles. The moment it appeared, the room dimmed as the projector activated, throwing up a shimmering hologram of a bullet-shaped, white spacecraft similar in design and make of the cruisers in Frieza's fleet. "There it is."

Seeing the hazy image rotate in front of them, Zeeun moved over to get a closer look. When he saw the insignia on the side of the vessel, the bushy haired demon of a warrior in gladiator style leather narrowed his eyes. "That ship's not from the Frieza Force."

Medamatcha, tilting his head at the odd vessel, blinked, "Whose is it, then?"

Upon scanning the picture for a few moments and analyzing the insignia on the side of the craft, Angila felt his expression tighten and a rather foreboding feeling fall over him. "It's a Cooler Force vessel. The emblem on the side… it belongs to the members of the older prince's elite commando unit- _Cooler's Armored Squadron_," the pale alien informed, before his head turned towards his boss seated on the throne. "I heard about their exploits back on the border planets of the Kesha system some months ago. They're supposed to be the greatest fighting unit in the quadrant."

Managing to hear all of this- as well as recognizing the ship and its markings himself- Kuriza, chained up and locked in his seat, was unable to do anything but sit there and feel his heart start to race. Being prevented from jumping around in excitement, the fledgling leader couldn't help but whisper in excitement. "Uncle…" he said, a smile appearing on his once downtrodden face.

Looking quite displeased, Wings allowed his lips to bare his fangs in an irate manner. "Then… does that mean that coward Frieza is not coming out to face us?"

A cackle left Medamatcha's throat, "It sure as hell seems that way."

"This is perfect," the voice of their master, Lord Slug, suddenly echoed out from his throne. With all of his commanders, with the exception of the still on-edge Lucoa, turning around to face him, the Namekian leader laid back in his chair as an excited grin remained on his face. "Things are playing out exactly as I have foreseen." The green-skinned warrior then exhaled in a relaxed manner, before then gesturing towards the aliens gathered at the computer terminal on his left. "Commander Zeeun…"

The officer in question straightened to attention. "Yes, my lord."

"Have all troops ready for ground assault and order all gunners to their positions. Battle stations," Lord Slug informed.

"Understood, my lord," the commander replied, before quickly turning his attention to the computer station on the other side of the hall across from him. "Kakuja! Contact all sectors and precincts! All men to battle stations!"

"Yes, sir!"

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Up in space beside one of the moons, just beyond reach of the planet's long range anti-space cannons, _The Comet_ had situated itself within running distance of the planet. With no space debris in the way and a clear line of sight of the mobile ice planetoid, the vessel was currently prepping itself for a strike against the hostile territory. However, while the engines and systems were calibrating for assault mode, the crew on board were also making final preparations.

On the bridge towards the helm, positioned at the front of the Comet's main viewing dome, while Shira was running diagnostics on the ship, Gohan, Salza, Myra, Dore, Neiz, and the three kitsune-seijin under their care were currently assembled together on the walkway and in full uniform. While two of the three fox girls were sporting purple spandex shorts and singlets, as well as white gloves and boots, their ring leader- Kida- was still dressed in her tribe's signature jungle wear, consisting of a top made of bandages and huntress skirt showing off her legs. Other than that, the entire crew of the vessel was decked out and ready for combat.

While their pilot was readying the ship for attack, Neiz had just finished handing out to the rest of the group their new scouters- a collection of devices that just had the ear sets, but no lenses. When each member of the squad received the white ear cups, the group looked at them strangely, before Dore glanced up at his partner.

"So… how exactly do these things work?" the wrestler asked, not too keen on dealing with something too complicated right before their drop.

Neiz smiled at his friends when he saw them all rolling the devices around in their hands. "These new _Scouter Mark II_ units that Kikono-san designed function exactly like the old ones. Each one is built with an automatic proximity detector that can track and pinpoint sudden increases of energy output or large battle powers within its immediate range. Aside from having an upgraded processor that can allow users to follow fast-moving targets, it can also track power levels across the entire quadrant with its long-range scanner mode." Neiz then did a quick demonstration by slipping it on. When the cup gave a low hiss, indicating it'd fixed itself to the side of his head, the man then pressed the main button on the side. The squad then watched in awe when, from the unit's front section, a blue hologram screen suddenly appeared over the man's eye and began throwing up multiple numbers. "However, unlike the previous model, this one not only features a power cap reader of over ten billion to prevent catastrophic overloading, it also uses a brand new hologram screen as opposed to a glass one. That way you won't run the risk of cracking the lens and you can deactivate it during combat to prevent double-vision and depth-perception issues."

Liking what she was seeing, Myra grinned down at the unit and immediately went about putting it on. "That is sweet!" she exclaimed, making sure it was locked on before activating it. When the blue hologram jumped up, she immediately began seeing the battle powers of her teammates leap up in the air over her left eye. "Awesome!"

"It also comes with other special features too," Neiz informed, pressing the small button below the main one and causing a new series of lines and words to appear on his screen. "Aside from its default programming, the scouter has an additional menu system that allows you to adjust its settings- from stuff like the hologram lens's size and color, to telescopic and x-ray functions too. On top of that, it also comes equipped with night vision, infrared, memory storage, life support sensors, atmosphere and climate scanners, and video and photography functions too."

It was like a super high-tech, sci-fi smart phone.

"Sick!" Dore laughed, quickly placing his against his ear and fixing the new unit to the empty slot of his helmet. After pushing it in so that it clicked into place, the man then activated it, at about the same time Gohan and Salza put their units on and began tinkering with the features. "Hahaha! This is so freakin' awesome! Now I can live record all of my workouts and stream it to all my fans over the Colnet!"

The captain of the squad gave his squad mate an amused look. "These are very expensive, brand new, field scouters, Dore- designed especially for our team to be used during high value and potentially dangerous missions. I don't think filming a PB at the gym is a very practical or productive use of a…" Salza began to lecture, only to stop when he suddenly saw Myra strike a pose in front of Gohan, who then tapped his scouter and caused a flash, indicating he was taking a picture of her. She then did it to herself- flashing a 'V' sign and taking a selfie. Witnessing these two events had the leader of the elite squad stop short and frown. "Ugh. You know what, never mind."

While Gohan adjusted the color of his scouter's hologram in the settings menu- switching it from blue, to green, to red, and finally to aqua- the youngster then turned when he saw his three fox girlfriends Kida, Rei and Riko walk up to him and smile.

"You look so cool, Gohan-kun," Kida chirped, her blue, fluffy tail with white tip wagging happily behind her in an elegant manner as she clenched her fists.

"Yeah! That new scouter looks rad!" the tomboyish Riko followed up, her shorter ears twitching as her short tail waved.

Rei, being the more mature and subdued of her three friends, crossed her arms and smiled at the boy in an all-cool manner. "Those bad guys have no idea what's coming for them."

Ignoring the amused looks being thrown at him by an observing Dore and Myra, a very uplifted and cheerful Gohan then stuck his chest out and rapped a fist against his torso plate. "Yeah. They may have caught Frieza's guys by surprise, but not us. This time, we're taking the fight to their home turf and going on the offensive." He then gave them all a more serious smile. "Do you guys know what you have to do?"

Her own expression steeling, Kida nodded affirmatively. "We'll be on the frontlines with the troops. As soon as the Seventh Fleet shows up, we'll rendezvous with the forces down on the fields and assault the citadel."

Riko, scratching her arm, looked across at the demi-Saiyan in a somewhat meek way. "I'm a little bit nervous. My body is trembling and I feel this loud pounding going through my head. Do you always feel like this before a big mission, Gohan-kun?" the brown fox girl asked, her rounded ears tucking up a little as a result.

Thinking on it for a moment, the raven haired child with the mullet shrugged and grinned. "I'm not sure. Every time I feel my heart start racing, I know it's just my body readying itself for a good fight." He then clenched his fists and raised one of them in a show of strength. "Knowing that I'll be facing some kind of strong opponent or hard challenge, I need every last drop of adrenaline I can get… so I just play along and follow my heart where it wants to go… and that's into action."

When his three friends processed his words, they then gave him each a warm and cheerful smile. Their tails wagging energetically, it almost looked like Gohan's little gutsy speech had given them something of a confidence boost. Unfortunately they weren't able to dwell on their feelings for very long, as Salza quickly broke up the team's meeting and headed over to the helm where Shira had finished priming the vessel for combat.

"Are we ready to move out, lieutenant?" Captain Salza asked when he arrived at what was essentially the driver's seat of the craft, before being joined by Dore, Neiz, Myra and Gohan when they eventually came over. "How's the…" He then stopped when he saw Shira wordlessly hold up a finger to pause him.

Taking a deep breath, the orange-skinned woman with red hair closed her eyes, meditated for a moment, and then turned and pointed down to her radio officer in the first crew pit. "Niyusu… it's time to do _the thing_," Shira announced, drawing a grin from her companion, while causing the members of the elite squadron to grin excitedly at one another. "Load up the song from the folder marked 'My Jams' into the intercom and signal the war planet. I'm sure they already know that we're here."

Salza blinked, "How… do you know that they do?"

The redhead then pointed over her shoulder as she continued pressing buttons on her pad. "Orbital space turbulence scanners. Niyusu noticed them the second we jumped out of hyperspace. They've modified their long range proximity sensors to scan for incoming space traffic, so even with our ship's cloaking device functioning at full capacity, I'm positive they managed to detect us. Whoever they have for a science officer in their organization is pretty damn smart."

The Captain placed a hand on his hip and tilted his head. "Is that a problem?"

Shira smirked. "Nope. But that doesn't mean I can't have a little bit of fun while I'm at it."

From her spot by the radio, Niyusu smiled up at her ship's pilot on the next level. "We're ready, ma'am! You're live!"

The woman in the one-piece jumpsuit and boots grinned, "Let's make some magic happen." She then reached over and pressed the transmission key on her control panel, which immediately let out a beep. "Attention! This is First Lieutenant Shira Aruna of the _Cooler Force._ I have an urgent communique for Lord Slug!"

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Down on the war planet, inside the citadel's main hall, upon hearing the open broadcast over the palace's main radio, the little, hooded science alien working at the main control station on the left hand side of the throne, glanced over at his superiors standing along the steps. When he saw Angila, Medamatcha and Lord Slug staring down at him, as well as Commander Zeeun pacing around nearby with his hands behind his back- clearly processing Shira's announcement towards their planet- Gyoshu then spoke in a nervous voice.

"The vessel is hailing us, sir," the alien with red eyes squeaked.

In response, the bulky, red-haired officer of the demon army marching around on the floor frowned, before speaking up. "Patch them through." When he heard Gyoshu engage the terminal and heard the loud beep ring out- indicating that the speaker system had been activated- Zeeun then proceeded to speak in his typical, loud booming voice. "This is Commander Zeeun of the immortal _Dark Empire_ under the venerable Lord Slug. The _Planet Trade Organization_ is no more! It is a broken down, hollow version of the great, intergalactic conglomerate it once was. We are here to put it out of its misery." The man stopped in the center of the hall. Sensing all eyes were on him, the demon proceeded to give a speech that was both ambitious and grand in scope, which helped to put a big grin on his face. "Your rivals in the Frieza Force- as well as your friends in the Cooler Force- are nothing but rebel scum and pirates waiting to be exterminated! Tell your precious emperor that there are to be no terms! There will be no surrender!"

There was a moment of pause, in which Zeeun basked in the awesome and terrifying speech that he gave. Even with his back turned to the throne, the man could feel the smiles on the faces of his companions Angila, Wings and Medamatcha, as well as the dark grin Lord Slug's face. It was clear that all of his companions thought that he had chosen the right words- words befitting of a man of his station.

However, a few seconds following the end of his declaration of superiority towards the Cooler Force vessel, after waiting patiently for a response, Commander Zeeun and the rest of the room heard Shira's voice answer back over the radio.

"_**Hi… I'm… holding for Lord Slug…"**_

Zeeun, unperturbed at this point, inhaled deeply. "Lord Slug has no words to share with you, worm! You are speaking to the Commander of his forces! By his will, we will wipe you and the rest of your empire's filth from the face of the universe!"

There was again a few seconds of pause. After a bit of static crackled through, Shira answered back in a flat tone of voice.

"_**Okay. I'll hold."**_

At this point, Zeeun's smile faded a little, as did a bit of his bravado. "Hello?"

"…"

"Hello? Are you-"

"_**Hello? Yeah… still here… hello?"**_ the female pilot interrupted, followed by a loud tapping that sounded like she was hitting a microphone at the other end. _**"Is this thing working?"**_

While this little back and forth was going on, Wings and Angila shared looks with one another and Lord Slug felt his smile fade. At the same time, Kuriza, who was watching all of this from his seat, couldn't help but snicker under his breath when he saw the annoyance and frustration starting to permeate off of the military officer's back.

"Hello? Are you-"

"_**Hello? Yeah? Anyone there?"**_

Zeeun, narrowing his eyes, glanced across at Gyoshu while Shira continued to speak over the radio. "Can you… can she hear me?" When he saw the hooded alien nod back to him, the commander of Lord Slug's military appeared taken aback. "She can?"

"_**Helloooo? Is Lord Slug there?"**_ Shira called out, before then finishing up with a description. _**"Old guy. Wrinkly. Decrepit. Kind of weird looking."**_

Clenching his teeth in annoyance at the sleight towards his leader, Zeeun spun around and marched across the hall past the computer monitor. During which time he spoke up in a louder voice, hoping that the person on the other end will be able to hear him. "I can hear you! Can you hear me, you wretched slime?"

"_**Look, I can't hold forever. If you reach him, tell him Emperor Cooler has an urgent message for him."**_

Gyoshu, after analyzing the feedback from the computer for a moment, then turned and looked awkward up at Zeeun- who he could see was standing right beside his workspace. "I think she's dicking around with you, sir."

"…_**it says, Dear Slug- and there's a picture of a butt."**_

Fists clenching behind his back and veins appearing along his brow, Zeeun snarled. "Is their ship in range of our guns?"

After a quick glance at his computer terminal and the map of the space, the hooded science officer quickly looked back at him. "They are."

The demon then turned and barked at him. "THEN OPEN FIRE!"

OOO

(At the same time)

"Hold on!" the grinning Shira shouted, grabbing the levers next to her and slamming them forward as hard as she could.

A split second after a loud hum echoed throughout the ship's bridge, Salza, Gohan, and the rest of the members of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_ suddenly felt all their blood in their bodies rush to their backs as the spaceship's thrusters opened up and sent the ship rocketing forward at sub light speeds. With a deafening roar and a thunderous rattle, the Comet charged through the vacuum with all electronics and dials pointed directly towards the war planet floating in front of them.

As the ship careened through the space- leaving a vapor trail in its wake- the entire squad saw multiple areas on the surface of the ice planet suddenly light up, as multiple bolts of golden energy were sent streaking towards them- indicating that the anti-orbital cannons on the dreadnaught had begun firing.

Dore, having fallen flat on his ass from the ship's sudden take-off, felt his eyes widen when he saw the wall of massive laser bolts flying directly their ship. This caused the Beppa-seijin to cry out to their pilot in alarm. "WATCH OUT! SHIIIIIIIIIIIIT!"

Calmly holding onto the ship's control stick as it rocketed straight towards the oncoming storm of blasts, a smirking Shira then yanked it to the side and pulled back on the lever to her right, which suddenly sent the assault craft into a barrel roll. Almost every person on the bridge felt their stomachs do a tumble turn as the Comet practically spun through the hail of blaster fire- with every single round overshooting them as they descended through the cyclone of highly energized death.

Multiple bright lights flashed past the bridge's window as the squadron watched their pilot calmly dive the ship down towards the planet, each turn and roll swinging them past potential incineration as the woman made a B-line for their target. While Shira and her radio operator Niyusu remained completely calm in the face of such a perilous maneuver, every other person present reacted different.

While Deita down in the second crew pit kept an eye on the ship's life support and shields, Gohan was crouching down to the floor and grinning excitedly as he watched the woman work, Myra and Salza were looking anxious, and Dore and Neiz watched in horror as energy bolts the size of meteorites flew past their window. Though the image of laser blasts flying by them was truly a sight to behold, the deafening roar of the engines and the ship's walls rattling to the point that they should be coming apart were enough to make the less-than-enthusiastic members of the elite group second-guess their choices in life.

This was punctuated by Dore crying out like a little girl after the ship sharply changed directions and did another dangerous barrel roll through a hail of blasts. "I think I'm going to be sick!" the man yelled out as the nose of the ship punched through the ice planet's atmosphere and towards the ground.

Myra, deciding to have a joke at her friend's expense- even though they were in such a precarious situation- called back to the warrior kneeling on the ground behind them. "You know, this ship's bridge is supposed to have an atmospheric waste disposal system. You could probably throw up and the vomit will just disappear before it hits the floor."

Neiz, grinning at his companion's jab, also looked back at his gradually paling friend on the walkway. "Yeah. You should test that, Dore."

"You two are assholes!" the wrestler yelled back, reaching up to cover his mouth.

Smiling when her ship finally made it through the clouds, but still being fired upon from the ground, Shira then snapped her fingers at Niyusu. The Brench-seijin in the pit responded by reaching over and hitting the play button. All of a sudden, above the sound of laser bolts rushing past the ship outside and the roar of the turning ship, the members of the elite commando suddenly heard music begin blaring over the ship's intercom. When their heads perked up and ears tuned into the instruments being played through the loud speakers, the group all blinked when they heard the distinct track of CHA-LA HEAD CHA-LA beginning to play in the background.

"_**Hikaru kumo tsukinuke, Fly Away!"**_

"_**Fly away!"**_

"_**Karada-juu ni hirogaru panorama!"**_

Gohan, still crouching down on the tiles as his three kitsune-seijin friends did the same behind him, grinning broadly as he began bobbing his head to the drums. "Oh, man! I love this song!"

Also bobbing her head to the music now echoing throughout her ship, Shira casually reached into her pocket, pulled out a stick of gum, and popped it into her mouth. "Heh. Bush league," she remarked, before cranking the lever back and sending the ship into a hard dive, causing massive amounts of Gs to begin bombarding the crew as they flew straight towards the ground amidst a hail of anti-aircraft fire, all of which became thinner and thinner the closer they came towards the planet's surface.

"_**Kao wo kerareta chikyuu ga okketee!"**_

"_**Okketee!"**_

"_**Kazan wo bakuhatsu saseruuu!"**_

The descent was terrifying- massive golden explosions and clouds bursts going off all around the ship as the laser bolts being fired from the ground transformed into flak. As the ship received glances of bursts against its hull as it effortlessly cruised through the planet's defense grid, the Comet continued on its assigned course before eventually coming in sight of the ground.

"_**To kikita koori no naaaka ni!"**_

Just seconds before it could hit the ground, as the song was approaching its chorus, Shira yanked back hard on the stick and pulled the vessel up, before firing up its thrusters and sending it shooting across the planet. When the craft streaked across the icy planet's continent, dodging blasts and mountains, the calmly smiling Shira performed a barrel roll before flicking a switch on her left. This caused the ship's two main cannons to open up on the sides of the bullet-shaped vessel, all of which loaded as the target software activated on the window's screen in front of the pilot.

"_**Kyouryuuga itara…"**_

"_**tamanori shikomitai neeee!"**_

As explosions and lasers continued to go off around her ship, Shira then took aim through the digital targeting circles that popped up on the turrets she could see in the distance and, the second the chorus of the song hit, pressed down on the trigger. In that moment, the Comet's cannons opened up and unleashed barrages upon barrages of blaster fire, each cannon going off at rapid fire and sending bursts of bolts shooting back at the gun towers firing at them in glorious streaks of light.

"_**CHA-LA! HEAD CHA-LA!"**_

"_**Nani ga okite mo kibun wa!"**_

"_**Heno-heno kappaaaa!"**_

Massive explosions then began going off across the countryside as the Comet, spiraling through the laser bolts still flying in its direction, returned fire and began decimating the cannons lying in its path. One after the other the pilot of the narrow ship destroyed every single gun and artillery battery lying in its range, creating a trail of fire bursts across the mountain ranges and valleys while her spaceship cruised across the sky at supersonic speeds. The vessel roared across the planet while the countryside shook under the hail of plasma raining down on it.

Even though the planetoid battleship's defenses continued to fire back and shoot the damn vessel out of the sky, due to the Comet being so small and flying so close to the ground, the gunners were unable to get a clean shot. As a result, their slow-moving laser cannons designed for hardier and larger targets, could barely keep track of the ship as it flew past them and- thanks to the expert and careful aim of the pilot- were destroyed before they could even get the craft in their sights.

"_**CHA-LA! HEAD CHA-LA!"**_

"_**Mune ga panchi-panchi suru hodo!"**_

"_**Sawagu Genko Damaaaa!"**_

"_**Sparking!"  
**_

Deciding to get creative, Shira took the craft into hops through the air, bouncing up and down as it followed a less than straight path towards its primary target. Arriving at the western plate just south of the citadel, the lieutenant then activated its missile system. The moment her targeting software isolated a whole bunch of cannons clustered together on the valley, the woman fired- launching dozens of tiny torpedoes streaking across the landscape.

Gohan, being the most thrilled of the group, gave a cheer of joy when he saw the missiles home in on each of their targets and take them out in a series of flashy explosions. When the ship came upon more, Shira took them out with another quick burst of fire, eliminating the cannons trying to shoot at her and clearing a path for them across the planet.

What's more, despite the ship's death-defying and almost impossible maneuver's, as well as the fact that it was able to return fire during all of its barrel rolls and flips, all Shira did was bob her head to the music and chew on her stick of gum, which she began blowing bubbles with.

Needless to say, not only were the elite squadron behind her stunned, but so were the enemy soldiers trying to knock her out of the sky. All they could think as they and their commanders watched the ship take out dozens more of their guns was what kind of devilish pilot was pulling off such a stunt? And with such grace.

Back and forth Shira went, taking the Comet on multiple bombing and torpedo runs of the planet. When she came upon bunkers wedged into mountain face trying to shoot at her from a protected position, she fired a missile into it and blew up the entire edifice. When she came across a line of cannons just sitting out in the open and unleashing volleys of laser bolts up at her, the woman zigzagged between them and shot at them one after the other, sending the towers cascading to the ground. And whenever she came across an entire patch of guns scattered across a mountain range or a desert, she fired a cluster of torpedoes in a scattered salvo and wiped them out in a tidal wave of hellfire.

It was glorious.

And so, just as the song reached its final chorus- with the guitarist riffing and the vocalist screaming into the microphone, Shira's primary target came into her range. Taking out several more large guns lying in her path, her ship's software locked onto the massive, dome-shaped oscillator sitting just over the horizon.

Punching the thrusters and getting them to fire at full power, Shira sent the ship blasting across the land. As they roared towards the massive building sitting squarely in their sights, the woman then hit another switch and switched weapons- moving from photon torpedoes to the nuclear warheads. Hearing the metallic click of the vessel changing out its ammo and seeing the weapon line up on screen, the alien woman grinned and, taking holding of the toggle, pulled on the trigger.

"Head Cha-la, motherfuckers," Shira shouted, watching her ship lob the two missiles from under its hull and sent them rocketing across the landscape. Upon launching her final payload, the woman then yanked back on the stick and pulled away.

As the Comet shot up into the sky, now clear of blaster fire thanks to the skilled pilot wiping out all of the turrets in the vicinity, the members of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_, the kitsune-seijin, and their subordinates watched as the two missiles streaked across the countryside for several seconds. Then, moments later, there was a blinding flash of light, followed shortly by a massive fireball in the shape of a mushroom cloud going off as the entire oscillator ruptured and exploded. The entire crew watched in awe as the shockwaves traveled across the ice planet's surface from the massive steel dome cracking under the force of the blast and exploding with such force that some of the countryside around it also imploded.

The end result was a crater of fire being formed in the wake of the blasts, which was immediately followed by the remaining cannons across the planet ceasing fire and shutting down. When the group saw several lights from checkpoints and outposts scattered across the planetoid flicker before going out, they knew right away that the power being distributed from the oscillator had been cut off.

This was confirmed when Deita, performing a scan of the planet from his spot in the crew pit, turned and called up to the group. "Oscillator destroyed! All power readings across the entire planet have dropped to zero! Their ship's dead in the water!"

Shira, grinning as she leveled the ship out just below the clouds, then looked back at Cooler's squadron behind her. "That's your cue, boys and girls. Good luck out there."

Nodding in understanding, Salza then turned to Niyusu down in the crew pit and pointed at her. "Alright. Send the all-clear signal to Cooler-sama and the Seventh Fleet. Tell them they can deploy their forces for ground assault!" Upon hearing the young woman give a hearty 'yes sir' in response, the Captain then focused on his squad, whom he saw were all standing upright and waiting for his instructions- save for Dore who was still looking a bit queasy. "Okay. We all know our jobs. Let's get down there, eliminate those scumbags, and rescue Lord Cooler's nephew from the enemy. Oorah?"

"_**Oorah!"**_ the members of his squad and the kitsune-seijin shouted.

"To the orbital drop doors! Move out!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Author's Note:** And it begins! I thought of Shira's bombing run while listening to music on the treadmill and the song Head Cha-La seemed perfect for it. Since it's already part of the DBZ universe, I thought it was a funny and perfect fit for a sci-fi action piece like that one. I still listen to the song while running too. It's great.

XXX

**Current Power Levels:**

**Cooler's Armored Squadron: (Post Six Months)**

Salza (half Fruit + training) – 27,000,000

Myra (half Fruit + training) – 26,000,000

Neiz (half Fruit + training) – 24,000,000

Dore (half Fruit + training) – 24,000,000

Gohan (quarter Fruit + training) – 25,000,000

(In case anyone forgot, Gohan gave away most of his fruit instead of eating it)

xxx

Kida (Blue Fox) (three quarter fruit + training) – 1,020,000

Riko (Brown Fox) (three quarter fruit + training) – 1,015,000

Rei (White Fox) (three quarter fruit + training) – 1,018,000

xxx

Cooler (4th/True Form Suppressed) – 3,900,000

Cooler (4th/True Form 100%) – 130,000,000

Cooler (4th/True Form 100% – Post Training) – 330,000,000

(Massive increase due to Cooler and Frieza's inherit talent and potential for accelerated strength increase over a very short period, though the older brother's isn't as prominent as his younger brother's. E.g. Frieza going from weaker than Android 19 to stronger than Super Saiyan Blue in only four months since his revival)

**xxx**

**Lord Slug's Dark Empire:**

Commander Zeeun – 2,080,000

Commander Zeeun (Potential Unlocked) – 25,000,000

Angila – 2,200,000

Angila (Potential Unlocked) – 26,400,000

Medamatcha – 2,050,000

Medamatcha (Potential Unlocked) – 24,600,000

Wings – 1,900,000

Wings (Potential Unlocked) – 23,000,000

Lucoa, the Dragon Girl (Base) – 25,000,000

xxx

Lord Slug (Old - Pre-Rebirth) – 95,000,000

Lord Slug (Post Rebirth - Suppressed) – 260,000,000


	19. Vegeta Saga - Multiple Fronts

**Author's Note:** Okay, now while a lot of you will be disappointed by the lack of Gohan in this fic, there is a lot of action developing. I'm saving the best Gohan bits for the next chapter.

* * *

**Dragonball Z**

_**Alter Age**_

_Multiple Fronts_

(Meanwhile)

(Back on Earth)

For the residents of East City, the latter half of their morning had gotten off to a pretty funky start. At first their day had begun like any other- morning routines, breakfast, which was then followed up by the typical, back-to-back nightmare that was rush hour traffic. In the middle of all this chaos however, while the people were heading out to their day jobs, the once warm and pleasant daylight was interrupted by a thick layer of black clouds rolling in from over the horizon. This anomaly caught everybody by surprise.

At first everyone thought that a freak storm had suddenly pulled in over their metropolis, prompting all those people who were walking the streets to seek the nearest shelters available. The occurrence of lightning bolts and thunderclaps dancing across the heavens also signaled the approach of an impending downpour, which immediately had the population of the dense city brace themselves for a heavy shower. But then, after a solid five to ten minutes of staring up at the blackened atmosphere and waiting for the inevitable rainfall, the entire sky suddenly cleared up and the black, ominous clouds vanished into thin air. A short time later, the once heavy overcast covering the region surrounding East City was once more punctuated by the clear blue sky of day and the hot sun beating down on the community.

This dramatic shift in weather baffled the people of the large town, as not only was the expected forecast for the day supposed to be warm and sunny without any chance clouds, but when the clouds did come, there had been no rain to speak of. Not a single drop. It was almost like someone had taken a blanket over their part of the planet and then relinquished it moments later. Of course, not willing to dwell on the strangeness of the event any longer than they had to, the civilians immediately forgot about the weird change in conditions and simply continued on their intentions of getting to work on time.

The boring slog of the weekday opening continued on for more or less the next hour- to the point it looked like it was going to be another ordinary, mundane working day for the people of East City. But then, at approximately 11:43 AM, the monotony of the day was once again shattered by the thunderous sound of sonic booms ringing out overhead, followed by the distinct noise of an approaching jet.

When people turned their attention towards the sky to see what it was that was causing such a stir, the civilians currently walking and driving through the downtown area were horrified when they saw two burning objects rocketing towards them. In a matter of seconds, the two meteorites cut through the clouds and into the city's airspace- where one of them sliced straight through a building and caused it to topple in on itself. A moment later, a loud crash reverberated across all of East City as two plumes of dust and debris burst into the air.

The clouds settled moments later to reveal two large craters had been punched into the ground in the middle of one of the town's busy intersections. Traffic immediately ground to a halt at the edge of the chasm, whereupon people from the vehicles and the sidewalk quickly went over to investigate. Phones and cameras were immediately pulled out and began flashing in rapid fire, as the sight of the two craters in the middle of the city was one of the most alarming and surprising instances to occur in this town's recent history- and quickly became subject of immense chatter.

"W-What are they? Military drones?"

"They look a little bit… like space ships."

"Did those things fall from the sky?"

"Careful. Don't get too close."

"Did anyone get hurt?"

These were among some of the first questions and comments to start up amongst the slowly forming crowds, with humans and earthlings of all species, races, colors, creeds and genders quickly starting to gather into a large mob around the crash site. Those at the front of the mass were given a much clearer view of the craters and were thus able to see inside of them, where they instantly spotted the pair of smoldering space pods lying at the bottom.

As sirens began to ring out from emergency services being called to the scene of the accident and the people were starting to clamor even louder, a new movement suddenly occurred. With two loud hisses, the hatches to the pods opened, swinging down and exposing the two creatures dwelling inside. Over the next few seconds, the crowds gathered atop the craters watched in awe as a pair of armored, humanoid figures stepped out of the tiny craft, floated up out of the holes they'd formed, and suspended themselves over the crowds.

The stunned civilians followed the pair as they then drifted down to the tarmac, where they eventually touched down just a few yards from their ships. At the same time, the doors to their pods sealed themselves shut, closing with a two simultaneous clicks.

While most of the crowd continued to gawk in awe, several people had the right mind to promptly vacate the area- fleeing from the scene at the sight of the two smirking visitors from outer space. With the taller, balder, and muscular one standing at the back, the shortest one remained at the front- surveying the large groups of people through the pink lens of his scouter.

Nappa chuckled when he did a quick head count of the people that'd gathered around them, his blue scouter beeping as it analyzed their individual battle powers. "So, Vegeta… what should we do with these gaping fools? They're starting to bother me."

Nearby, a young truck driver in a checkered shirt gulped when he saw the smallest of the two aliens smirk in his general direction- causing him and the girl with green hair next to him to back up. "W-Who are they… what are they?"

"I… I'm not sure," the young woman squeaked, at the same time reaching over to tug on his shirt nervously at the menacing glare she received.

Liking the way the crowds were reacting, Vegeta snickered. "Oh, I don't know. Why don't you decide this time? I already got to pick back on the last planet we stopped at."

A dark chuckle left Nappa's lips. "Heh. Thanks, Vegeta. This is gonna be a lot of fun for me."

"Heh… don't mention it," the prince chuckled.

Without needing any further prompts, Nappa decided to go all in for an introduction. His right hand tensing and emitting a cloud of ominous steam, the man then clenched it tightly, extended his index and middle fingers, and promptly swung it upwards. The instant he pointed skywards, a flash of blinding light then occurred, first engulfing the grinning Saiyans, before then swallowing up everything else. The entire city became bathed in a blinding white light, with everything within proximity of its glare- from the people to the buildings surrounding them- being incinerated in an instant as a blast of heat equivalent to a nuclear bomb being ignited went off.

From there, a deafening roar of an explosion shook the earth and heavens, sending shockwaves rippling across the planet for miles in every direction. The sheer magnitude of the blast rocking the entire continent on its foundations was so great that the flash and ripple generated by Nappa's _**Bakuhatsuha**_ (Volcano Explosion) could be clearly seen from space. At the same time, a flash comparable to the sun's shine, filled the clear blue sky and tore through the atmosphere, distorting the air and space around it.

Multiple communities across the globe felt the full force of the blast rock the planet, with the scattered Z-fighters also bracing themselves when they felt the waves of the explosion tear across the countryside and smash into them. The entire thing lasted for only a few seconds, but due to the sheer volume and size of the fire dome being produced, it was almost like the event dragged on for several minutes.

Eventually, after the light from the fire flash faded moments later, the entirety of East City was left completely and utterly devastated. While the outskirts of the town and the port had been rattled by the resulting shockwaves, the entire center and downtown area of the metropolis had been totally annihilated- with nothing but a smoking hot crater with scorched areas of glass lying smack bang in the heart of the community. Stretching for a couple of miles in every direction, the steaming fissure was all that remained of the once popular business and entertainment districts of the municipal.

Floating above the plumes of dust and admiring the carnage from a high altitude, Nappa and Vegeta could be seen. Completely unscathed, both men were looking upon the devastation with mixed expressions of joy and annoyance respectively.

"Haha," Nappa laughed, "Do you think I was trying too hard to impress them, Vegeta?"

Not feeling as delighted as his companion, the prince grunted before proceeding to lecture his teammate, "There isn't anyone left to impress, Nappa. I should've known better than to let you have any fun."

"Aww, but why?" the man groaned, before raising his hand in a reasoning manner. "Come on. A little destruction won't affect the sale price of this planet. What's the big deal?"

"Try to use your brain a little," Vegeta huffed, before then shooting a glare across at his partner. "We came here for the dragon balls- a collection of mystical objects that can grant wishes. Please tell me you haven't forgotten about them."

"Uh…" the bald warrior stuttered before thinking back to the start of their trip. "No. I… I remember. We were going to use them to wish for… _immortality_… is that it?"

"Yes, and we need _all_ of these balls to make that wish happen, right? So let me ask you this- what if one of these so-called dragon balls happened to be in the city you just destroyed? Huh?" Vegeta asked, narrowing his eyes on his subordinate and watching him shirk back under the intensity of his stare.

Stuttering momentarily when he was reminded of their main objective here, the large, bald warrior inhaled deeply and lowered his head. "I-I'm sorry. I guess I was just so caught up in the excitement that I just flat out forgot about that."

"Hmph. Well let's both forget about it. What's done cannot be undone," Vegeta grumbled, before then glancing around thoughtfully. "First let's find the highest power level on this planet. If my guess is correct, he'll be the one that chased off Raditz." He then reached up and pressed the main button on his scouter a couple of times, quickly tuning it to this planet's environment and immediately scanning the area. "Hopefully that sorry excuse for a failure stays out of our way. Make sure to lock down the Attack pods so that he can't access them and escape."

"Right," Nappa grunted, using his scouter to do as Vegeta instructed- electronically shutting their vessels down with a security code- before then proceeding to scan the planet. After flipping through several modes that analyzed the environment and atmosphere surrounding him, the bald warrior then recoiled when he suddenly engaged the power scanner. As the numbers blinked past the screen, the warrior then looked around as he began tracking the multiple signals flashing by his lens. "Hang on… more than half a dozen people on this mud ball have battle powers over a thousand!"

Vegeta, frowning when he noticed the same numbers crop up on his screen, glanced towards the horizon when he saw more readings jump up, which had him furrow his brow.

Head snapping in the same direction, Nappa frowned. "Hold on. Two thousand? That can't be right. When we read Raditz's scouter results a year ago there were only a handful of people with power levels barely scraping the two hundred mark." The warrior then felt his fists clench when he quickly recalled that particular report. "The only abnormal reading was the one we got from Kakarot's brat when his battle power jumped to six thousand."

Reading the results, the Saiyan Prince grunted in an unimpressed manner. "These guys have probably been preparing for us. No matter. Let's just find the highest one," Vegeta answered, continuing to scan the vicinity as his scouter made sense of the results being thrown up onto the lens. Nappa did the same, with the pair working in tandem to isolate the six or so signals they were currently receiving.

After a few more seconds, the Saiyan General's unit beeped back with a number, which caused the warrior to grin. "I just found two of them together. They definitely have the highest battle powers on this planet."

When Vegeta looked in the same direction, the prince smirked. "Really? Well, this could be interesting after all. Let's go over there and say hello."

After Nappa slammed a fist into his open palm in excitement, both he and Vegeta powered up and took off, their bodies shooting over the ruins of East City before soaring into the clouds. As the pair assumed a basic flight formation, they began making good, fast progress towards the two energy signatures they'd picked up.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Across the quadrant on Eclipse-I)

The moment the all-clear signal went out from _The Comet_ following its strike against the enemy planet's oscillator, the Cooler Force's specially formulated fleet waiting on standby quickly sprang into action. As the ice planet serving as Lord Slug's capital planet came to a dead halt, the space on the very edge of the alien warlord's acquired territory suddenly became filled with multiple flashes of light, as dozens upon dozens of large saucers and transport ships aligned with the emperor's branch of the _Planet Trade Organization, _exited light speed and began pouring into the system en masse.

Each vessel blasting into the system one after the other in a mixed pattern, the assault group immediately made a B-line towards the ice planet's surface, easily breaching past its defensive range and barreling through its thermosphere. With all the satellite's plasma batteries and turrets all knocked out, the majority of the fleet's freighters and transports proceeded to go to ground. During which time, Cooler's capital ship and headquarters of his grand empire, exited hyperspace behind the rest of the force and positioned itself in one of the orbital paths of the system's many moons. Stopping a safe distance away from the combat zone, the Commander and Chief of the imperial forces then looked on comfortably from the bridge, as the major bulk of his great assault fleet moved in on the stricken war world to begin off-loading troops on the surface.

In a matter of seconds, the grey, cloudy skies and dense atmosphere above Lord Slug's mobile world was found itself swarmed by the freighters and transports of the Cooler Force spearheading the assault- the heavy collection of armored warships diving through the banks and gliding over the wide open, ice plains just a few miles short of the planet's citadel. The first freighters to make it down immediately opened their side doors, allowing the troops of Cooler's military to spill out and scatter themselves across the cold battlefield.

Hundreds of aliens of multiple humanoid and extra-terrestrial species clad in RIT armor poured onto the scene- most of whom were dressed in cold weather gear, protective helmets, and armed with wrist blasters and rifles. The first squads to make it to the ground were immediately ordered by their officers to secure the area, as the transports they arrived in quickly took off to make way for the next wave of reinforcements.

In the span of only a few, short minutes, an entire division of men, women, and Saibamen support units were deposited on the planet's continent, with even more platoons following shortly afterwards. As several of the larger, attack saucers following the transport ships into the atmosphere positioned themselves at low altitude to cover the area of deployment, the largest of the group of round vessels slowly descended to the battlefield and touched down in the rear. As soon as the craft's crab-like legs made contact with the ice and the soldiers already on station moved in to secure the landing sight around the frigate, the commander on the bridge then lifted his hand to his scouter and made contact with all his officers and sergeants already present.

"All units, advance on the citadel! Fox and Dog Company take point! I want Easy and Able to provide cover from the rear and protect their flanks!" the scar-faced warrior shouted, immediately receiving a confirmation reply from all stations.

Moments after his order was given, all troops on the front line began to dash across the icy fields- their weapons hot and ready for engagement. The sound of their combined footfalls all slamming into the icy ground caused a thunderous roar to echo across the hills, creating a fitting chorus for their approach of the enemy base. As the troops moved, not only did many of the squads take flight and begin gliding over the men they had on the ground, but back over at the assembly area, the more transport ships then began dropping large vehicles onto the field with the troops.

These consisted of Cold Force designed hover tanks, each one covered in plated armor designed to deflect ki blasts, two turrets on the main body, and a large, rotating blaster cannon at the top. The moment the vehicles were dropped onto the field by the carriers that swooped in to deposit them, the drivers began moving the tanks forward- joining the troops as they began making their way towards the citadel.

As they charged, the soldiers at the very front of the line suddenly picked up multiple energy signatures and life forms on their scouters. Looking ahead, they suddenly saw several large sections of icy land give way along the hills and drop into the ground. The moment these strange openings formed, hundreds upon hundreds of armored soldiers wearing black spandex, white plated armor, and full head helmets with thick visors began pouring out of the ground.

It was almost like the Cooler Force had disturbed a very large, landscape-wide ant nest- only this nest was filled with Lord Slug's forces.

The moment the army of identically dressed soldiers began spewing out of the ground from the multiple gateways opening in front of the invading forces, the squads of soldiers leading the empire's charge loaded their weapons before the sergeants at the front bellowed at the top of their lungs.

"FOR EMPEROR COOLER! CHAAAAAAAAAAAARGE!" the higher ranking officers yelled, a command that was met by the unified battle cry of every single Cooler soldier pumping themselves up before sprinting forward at full speed.

In response the enemy troops surfacing from the tunnels and bunkers below also cried out in unison, the regiment of soldiers rushing forward at full speed too. Those armed with rifles cocked and aimed them, while those who didn't need them raised their hands and took aim. The moment they came within sight of the first line of troops, the waves of soldiers in Lord Slug's demon clan army began opening fire- the air becoming filled with golden tracers as multiple laser bolts began flashing towards the incoming Cooler forces.

Answering the incoming fire with their own, the charging imperial troops also began to unload upon the enemy, bravely charging into the field of fire and unleashing hails of golden and blue energy bolts towards the enemy. At only thirty yards apart the two lines of troops met- ki and plasma bolts tearing into both sides as men were either cut down by the hail of fire, or managed to deflect it with pure strength and skill. Even as the energy bullets began crisscrossing the field, the waves of soldiers simply charged into one another, pushing forward until the troops at the very front collided into their adversaries.

With their emperor's will and strength behind them, the soldiers in the Cooler Force drew first blood, managing to not only mow down a large chunk of the incoming enemy, but managing to smash down the most troops when they came into close range. From there, a bloody and violent skirmish then broke out in open field, as the soldiers on the Cooler Force began engaging the thousands of Lord Slug soldiers that came charging out of the ground in waves- with seemingly no end in sight.

To accompany the laser bolts now flying across the battlefield, fiery explosions then began going off across the flat plain, as both friendly and enemy forces began exchanging high volume blasts and heavy payloads. Those troopers who were airborne quickly swooped in to hammer in the punishment on the flightless Lord Slug troops, while those with heavy blaster cannons started unloading into the swarms of troops to begin thinning out their numbers.

While the opening seconds of the battle initially appeared to be dead even- as Cooler's soldiers pressed on and began adding their mixture of more powerful fighters and weapons into the mix, the tides almost immediately began to flow in their favor. When their tanks rolled in and began lobbing enormous balls of plasma into the waves of Lord Slug soldiers, wiping them out in droves, the battle quickly fell into their pace.

However, as Cooler's frontline fighters began to press into the hordes of troops- taking down squad after squad that came charging at them on piss and vinegar- the imperial soldiers suddenly fell under a vicious salvo of energy bolts that suddenly came raining down from ahead. As large explosions suddenly took out a few groups of Cooler soldiers, one of the officers at the front of the advance noticed enemy vehicles suddenly come rolling up from the cave systems ahead.

This took the form of large, grey, metallic hover tanks with rocket artillery on their backs, each one heavily built and double-shielded. When they emerged from the ground, the airborne Cooler soldiers attempted to take them out with a combined barrage of blaster fire from their gauntlets- only to watch their plasma bolts bounce off of the tanks' sleek hulls.

As if laughing off the attempted attack from long range, the enemy tanks suddenly aimed their cannons and launched a salvo of rockets across the battlefield. The tiny warheads broke up and scattered, arcing through the sky in multiple directions, before homing in on large groups of Cooler soldiers. While a couple of units in the sky ended up getting hit and blown up, the rockets that aimed for the targets on the ground detonated with even more catastrophic force. The large explosions going off in the rear, mixed with the screams of soldiers being sent flying into the air, immediately told the companies of the Cooler Force that they were going to be in for a very messy hike towards the citadel.

Immediately upon seeing the enemy tanks start to advance and unload on their troops, the lieutenant at the front line- while continuing to fire ki blasts into the approaching Slug forces- pressed the button on his scouter and shouted. "Heavily armored enemy units on sight! We need air support! I repeat! We need air support, now!"

With rockets and plasma bolts crisscrossing midair and decimating both enemy and friendly troops alike, it almost seemed like the lieutenant's cry for help would go on completely unanswered. But as luck would have it, as two of the newly arrived enemy tanks started to make their way down onto the field to support their troops, a loud whoosh from overhead followed by a flash of light was followed by the pair of vehicles to detonate and burst into flames- as it was promptly shot at by a low-flying _Comet_.

The roar of the _Cooler Armored Squadron's_ ship's engines deafened the troops below as it swooped in over the battlefield. Slowing its descent as its cannons engaged several of the enemy units below- mowing them down and pushing the enemy back- the bays beneath the bullet-shaped vessel opened. When they did, the three tiny forms of Kida, Riko and Rei- the three kitsune-seijin girls- dropped down from the sky and dove right into the enemy formations.

Seeing the ground fast approaching them, the blue fox grinned. "Alright, Riko-chan! Rei-chan! Let's do this!"

"_**Yes!"**_ the other two responded, before all their expressions steeled.

A few moments after the three demi-human girls leapt from the orbital drop doors, the trio immediately became engulfed in veils of bright, blue flames, as the trio simultaneously shielded themselves and powered up through use of their elemental magic. The second they touched down on the grass between the legions of Lord Slug's troops, they immediately tore right into the enemy forces, cutting through the warlord's men and beginning to take them down in rows.

Columns of fire erupted across the enemy's forward lines when the three supplementary members of the Armored Squadron started thinning out their numbers- clearing the path for their troops while at the same time making their first, true marks on the battlefield.

The sight of the napalm like explosions engulfing Lord Slug's forces as the demons cried out in horror at the sudden surprise attack from above drew a cheer from the advancing Cooler soldiers, all of whom waved towards _The Comet_ as the group's famed ship took off from its position over the field and shot into the sky- safely out of reach of the enemy's fire.

The members of the commando group had a job to do after all, just as the rest of their army did. And so, as Cooler's ground forces were joined by a dozen of their navy's freighters flying low and unleashing waves of blaster fire upon the enemy to help take out the tanks and heavy units, the troops- sustaining only a handful of losses- continued to march towards the citadel a few miles away.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Onboard Cooler's Ship)

From his position above the icy planet, Cooler was able to watch the entire battle take place over the many monitors he had on display near his vessel's main viewing window. Though the opening descent of his naval force had been one heck of a spectacle, it was the actual ground assault that followed that had the ruler's full and undivided attention. Being able to view the engagements through the live video streams of his sergeants and lieutenants leading his troops across the icy tundra was more than enough to give the young emperor a good idea of the kind of enemy he was facing and the tactics they were employing.

While their hand-to-hand combat skills and proficiency paled in comparison to his men, who proved their mettle by being able to bring down many of the soldiers that came charging up to them to engage them in CQC, the enemy still had a great deal of weapons and firepower at their disposal, which helped to even out the playing field. The sheer numbers of troops that seemed to be bursting out of the ground and the military vehicles they were also starting to roll out, told Cooler that his army's advance across the countryside was not going to be a quick one.

Though the prince could very well swoop in and mop up all of the enemy soldiers by himself, the man was certain that any moves made by him were exactly what the maniacal Lord Slug was expecting. With the way the enemy as sending out its troops, it was as if they were baiting the young prince to step onto the field.

But Cooler wasn't going to bite. At least not unless he had to.

The strategy that the ruler was employing with his forces was to distract the major bulk of the enemy army- draw all of their manpower and weaponry to one part of the continent, while at the same time his commando unit snuck in from behind and entered the citadel. With all of the enemy's attention focused on the invasion at the front, Cooler anticipated that his elite infiltration squad would have the opening they needed to enter the command center, take out the leader, and rescue his nephew.

As the young emperor turned around and approached the hologram table he had set up on the bridge- where he could see a full, three-dimensional render of the current battle taking place projected over the large, twenty foot wide platform- Cooler inhaled deeply. "This strategy will take some time."

Kikono, who was standing by the tablet and monitoring the deployment of their troops, glanced up at the young prince and spoke in a cheerful tone. "Our forces are advancing on all flanks, sire. By my calculations, at the rate our companies are progressing, they should be able to reach the citadel's main steps in approximately thirty minutes." The man then grinned nervously. "Provided the enemy has no other surprises for us."

Cooler grunted as his fingers clenched and tail waved behind him patiently. "My men will be able to take care of them. Tell Commander Raino to keep pouring on the pressure and moving the men forward. Cover Kida and her two friends as they thin out their center ranks and break the enemy's resolve." He then pointed across the field and towards the ships he had hovering at range. "Have the assault ships provide continuous layers of suppressing fire on the enemy and take out their heavy artillery. I want all forward positions to be on top of those cliffs inside of ten minutes."

"At once, your grace," the yellow science alien chirped, before he turned around and relayed these exact instructions to the runner behind him. When the soldier received the orders, he quickly gave a salute before rushing over to the radio operator on the computer terminal behind him, who he then told to contact the commander of the fleet. "Should we be expecting enemy air support?"

"Most likely," Cooler replied, scanning the vicinity of the three-dimensional map before narrowing his eyes on the mountain areas ahead of his advancing troops. "Have Lieutenant Shira move into over watch position above the western ridges after she completes her sweep. I suspect our friends inside this glacier of a fortress will be sending birds out once they realize their forward lines are about to collapse." He guessed that they were aiming to draw this out as long as they could.

As the radio operators on the bridge began conveying the prince's instructions to his forces, a purple, male Brench-seijin over on one of the computer panels suddenly placed a hand to his ear piece before spinning around and calling across the floor. "Conn! Sonar! New contacts! Bearing two-five-eight on the long range scanners! We've got incoming, sire!"

Turning away from the battlefield projection on his hologram, both Cooler and a select number of his officers on the deck focused attention on the alarmed radar operator. When they saw his attention fixed squarely on the prince, the carapace alien nodded to him. "Do you have a visual? Put it on screen." He then turned his attention to one of the large monitors above. A couple seconds later, the screen flickered to a new image- this one of five familiar looking _Attack Balls_ exiting hyperspace and tearing across the territory.

When the cameras moved in on the five pods that'd just entered their range, Kikono blinked in surprise. "It's the _Ginyu Force_. They… They're here?"

"Oh, wonderful," Cooler groaned sarcastically, shaking his head before glancing across at the staff he had working the computers beside the radar station. "Comms Officer. Patch me through to the lead Attack Ball."

When a familiar beep echoed from the communication officer's desk a few seconds later, the blue, scaly alien with the large ear pieces turned around and gave the young emperor a nod. "You're on, sire."

Straightening up, the young ruler spoke. "This is Lord Cooler of the _Cooler Force_\- First Son of King Cold, Second Class Inquisitor for Beerus the Destroyer, Prince of the Central Systems, and Chief Overseer of the North-Western Quadrants of the _Planet Trade Organization_. You and your men are entering an active warzone in my territory, Captain Ginyu. As Supreme Commander and Leader of the imperial forces in this space, I am ordering you and your squad to stand down and direct your ships to a safe location. Do you copy?"

There was a brief moment of pause between Cooler and the computer terminal- the prince waiting for the leader of his brother's commando unit to respond. Hoping that his presence would manage to get the attention of the captain, the young ruler then received a surprise when the second strongest warrior in his sibling's armed forces responded. But not in a way that he was expecting.

"_**Greetings, my Lord Cooler,"**_ Ginyu's croaky, arrogant voice suddenly filled the air as he responded to the address. _**"We hear you loud and clear. Under normal circumstances, my squad and I would never think of crossing into your borders without express permission from you or your forces- nor would we ever consider meddling in your affairs, no matter how small or large. However, as it is our mighty emperor's own son that has been so unjustly taken by these fiends, my squad is duty bound to our prince to move in and rescue him- no matter the cost."**_

Cooler balked, "What?"

"_**My deepest apologies, Cooler-sama. But my team has received clear, explicit instructions from Lord Frieza to board the enemy vessel, destroy its leader, and retrieve his son. And it is an order I intend to see through to the end,"**_ Captain Ginyu replied, before the sound of him fiddling with his pod's instruments suddenly echoed around the command ship's bridge. _**"We'll be sure to stay well out of the way of the combat zone. This way our forces won't cross paths and there will be no complications for either of us. Captain Ginyu, out."**_

"No, wait! GINYU! Listen to me! You don't understa-" Cooler proceeded to shout, only to hear the feed cut out as the Captain disconnected him. Freezing in place for a moment, the young prince stared at the monitor for a moment before his fists clenched in frustration. "Kai, damn it. That arrogant, braindead idiot."

Despite the captain's good intentions, the leader of the Cooler Force knew that the man was in over his head. He was entering a combat area that was not only incredibly dangerous, but with no Intel on the enemy's strength or numbers. Though The Ginyu Force was touted as the strongest battle group in Frieza's territory, with their current battle powers they absolutely paled in comparison to not only his subordinates, but Lord Slug's subordinates as well.

What they were essentially barreling into was a suicide mission and Cooler was frustrated that he wasn't able to communicate that to the leader of his brother's commandos.

Determined not to let this situation get more out of hand than it already had, the prince then prepared to make another call to Captain Ginyu's men. However, before he could issue his next set of instructions to his communication's crew, the familiar, weightless presence of his attendant suddenly crept in over his shoulder. When Cooler looked over his shoulder and past the many men he had running around the deck and keeping tabs on the war effort, the leader spotted Berryblue floating directly behind him.

However, instead of sporting her usual smile, the woman had on a rather serious and foreboding frown. It was this expression that momentarily caught Cooler off guard, as he had rarely ever seen the woman sport such a glare. In fact, this was probably one of the first times he'd ever seen her frown.

Hands behind her back, the blue-skinned, white-haired servant of the Cold family then spoke in a voice that was not only loud enough for the prince to receive, but also for the troops across the bridge as well.

"My lord, an emissary from your father- King Cold- has just arrived on your ship. They wish to meet with you right away."

Straightening up as a look of alarm crossed Cooler's face, the emperor not only became aware of most of the room coming to a grinding halt, but also the beat of his heart. His mind quickly processing the news as fast as it could manage, the young prince then looked around, whereupon he quickly noticed almost all of the personnel on the bridge were staring at him in silence- clearly not expecting to hear such a report.

"_My father… sent an agent? Why?" _Swallowing nervously, the young prince frowned and nodded. "Very well. Send them in."

Cooler watched as Berryblue turned around and gestured to the guards at the door, who they then saw step aside and open the steel barrier. The moment the two barriers slid apart with a loud whoosh that cut through the silence choking the air, the all of the officers on the bridge then saw a figure march in across the threshold.

Their footsteps clanking against the floor, indicating that they were wearing very hard boots, Cooler, Berryblue, Kikono, and the rest of the bridge watched as the newcomer walked all the way up to the hologram table positioned in the center of the deck. When they stopped just a few feet from it, the young emperor felt his blood run cold, as he immediately recognized the person as a member of his father's personal commando unit and royal guard- the _**Blizzard Corp**_.

There was absolutely no way Cooler could mistake them. After all, not only had he had plenty of time to observe the members of the group while growing up in his father's palace, but he also remembered being on the sword end of the team's wrath that one time when he had that incredible outburst in his father's throne room. All memories of that incident aside, the group was also touted as the greatest and oldest fighting force in the cosmos, with its members not having changed since they were granted their positions by his great grandfather- Grand Emperor Blizzard.

Gulping nervously, Cooler then promptly marched over to where the guard was now standing and waiting patiently for him. Along the way, the young prince was able to get a better look at the guard- noticing that not only were they shorter than him, but had a slim, womanly build, framed clearly by their full body, black spandex, white boots, white sleeve gloves, and the full, white, figure-hugging RIT plate armor they were wearing. They were also sporting a helmet that completely covered their head and bore the insignia of the _Blizzard Corp_ on the left side of their chest- a black diamond with eight lines protruding from it, like a snowflake. They also had a sword sheathed at their side, an odd tri-guarded saber that seemed a little too big for them to wield.

Upon coming to stand beside them, Cooler then frowned in their direction when he saw the helmeted figure staring at him through the full, black face visor covering their mug. "This emissary's presence aboard my vessel is a great honor. Is there something I can do for you, uhh…?" He then paused, unable to identify the warrior in the armor, even though he recognized them as one of his father's eight guards.

Realizing she was being addressed by the young prince, the female figure bowed and reached up with both her hands to grasp her mask. Pressing two latches under the helmet that caused a hiss to ring out, indicating that the helmet was being depressurized, she then lifted it free from her head. What Cooler then saw, to his surprise, was a large mass of orange, curly hair suddenly dropping down from the back space of the helmet when it was removed, all of which sat atop the head of a beautiful, blue-skinned female with pointy ears, sharp blue eyes, and wearing golden, diamond shaped earrings.

It didn't take long for Cooler and his attendant, Berryblue, to identify the Blizzard Corp commando as a Hera-seijin- the same race as his subordinate, Myra.

Once the helmet was removed and placed under her arm, the small female looked upon the alien ruler with a calm expression and a cool smile. "I'm Captain Zangya- second sword to Grand Emperor Blizzard and second in command of the _Blizzard Corp_ under the great King Cold. It's a pleasure to be welcomed on board your ship, young prince."

"The pleasure is all mine." Nodding in greeting to the young woman, Cooler then cleared his throat before giving her a very inquisitive stare. "I had no idea my father knew about the operation going on in this sector. I assumed that my younger brother…"

"Word of Lord Frieza's forces being decimated by a mobile planetoid and his son being kidnapped by a member of the enemy faction spread fast across the four quadrants of King Cold's territories. Naturally my lord caught wind of the event and guessed that not only would his youngest son respond to the issue by sending a detachment of troops to retrieve the princeling, but that his older brother would also assemble a taskforce and mount a rescue mission of his own," Zangya answered, before then glancing about the room she was currently in. "Judging from the personnel you have on station and the large fleet you have mobilized in the area, I can assume that the great king was right on all counts."

Cooler, sharing a quick look with Berryblue floating beside him, then looked back at the royal guard inquisitively. "So… the reason that you're here is-"

"I'm not here to participate in the assault," Zangya answered, stepping towards the hologram table in front of her and promptly setting down her helmet. The moment she rested it on the console beside the three-dimensional render of the battlefield, the clearly powerful woman then proceeded to analyze and watch the battle taking place on the projection before her. "I'm simply here as an observer. Rumors of your stellar achievements over the past year have peaked a lot interest in the empire's capital- and I must say King Cold is quite curious to see exactly what kind of progress you've been making in developing your branch of the organization. As this unfortunate incident has become a sort of contest between both you and Lord Frieza, the great king would like to know who out of the two of you is the most prepared and determined in retrieving Prince Kuriza from the clutches of this new menace. Thus he has sent me to this area to assess the operation."

Quickly understanding why the woman was here, Cooler then moved forward, "Of course. I can see that my father means well in sending you out here to make sure the incursion goes smoothly. In fact, given the seriousness of the situation, he has every right to be concerned. But I assure you- Zangya-san- that I have the situation well in hand."

In response, the orange-haired beauty smiled back at the young lord. "Then you should have nothing to worry about, sire. If your assault on the planet and retrieval of the young lord turns out to be a complete success, then you can expect me to give a full, shining report back to your father regarding the quality of your force." She then turned her attention back the hologram in front of her and continued to watch as the troops on the field continued their assault. "I sure hope your men are up to the task."

Realizing he was not going to be able to get rid of his visitor anytime soon, Cooler at first expressed a great deal of frustration and anxiousness, all of which seemed to be boiling just under the surface of his composure. However, after taking a few deep breaths and calming himself down, the prince decided to just play along with his father's meddling and promptly joined Zangya in observing the table.

Now that he knew that this entire situation has boiled down to a race between himself and his brother, Cooler- shouldering the burden of this entire operation- turned to the men at the computer terminals and called out his next orders. "Contact Salza and his crew! Let me know when they arrive at the citadel!"

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Back on Earth)

Over in the mountainous regions to the west, situated down on the valley floor, the tall, imposing forms of both Raditz and Piccolo could be seen standing shoulder to shoulder, and staring up at the sky with serious expressions of anticipation. While the Namekian warrior removed his cape and turban, his temporary ally and training partner readied himself by cracking his knuckles and his neck, all the while making sure that his belt was done up nice and tight.

"That was one hell of a lightshow those two put on for us," Piccolo remarked while tossing his headwear aside and hearing the object thump against the ground behind him. "Damn. They wiped an entire city off the face of the map."

"Yep. That would be Nappa," Raditz replied, his eyes narrowing as he kept his eyes glued to the horizon- which had since been cleared thanks to the country-busting energy wave that his former comrade dropped on the planet's surface. "That dumb brute of an ex-commander loves making a spectacle of himself whenever he arrives on the scene. Every time Vegeta gave him any kind of free reign during a mission, he would always take things two steps too far. He's the reason why several of the planets we conquered in the past ended up depreciating in value."

"Well, if his aim was to get our attention, consider it grabbed," Piccolo stated, inhaling sharply and mentally preparing himself. Upon doing a quick scan of their targets, the green warrior felt his chest seize up when he caught a good glimpse of the pair of energy signatures heading their way. The sheer breadth and magnitude of both of them was enough to cause his entire body to tense. "They're on their way here. Man, you weren't kidding about their power levels. While one of them is pretty impressive, the one flying next to him is at least four times as large and twice as foul."

Raditz grunted while uncrossing his arms. "And that would be Vegeta- known by his allies in the force as the _Prince of All Saiyans_. He's the king's oldest son and the most talented warrior to ever be born from our race." The man glanced across at the Namekian. "When he gets here, make sure you and the others keep an extra eye on him. While I'm positive he'll send Nappa in to fight us first, if things look like they're about to go south for his teammate, he'll definitely step in and take us on himself."

"Yeah. Don't sweat it. I remember what you said," Piccolo answered, letting out a steady breath as he kept his energy signature suppressed.

Raditz meanwhile stared at his partner. "Are you worried?"

To answer his question, the green male smirked broadly. "Heck no."

His confident response had the Saiyan mercenary chuckle. "That's what I thought." His smile remained as he then lowered his head. "I have a score to settle with my bald ex-teammate, so make sure you leave him to me while the rest of you take Vegeta. Alright?"

"Yeah. No worries."

As the two current strongest warriors on the planet continued to hold the fort, waiting for the two Saiyans to arrive, the silence was suddenly broken when- dropping down from the sky- a third familiar face suddenly arrived on the scene. Eyes glancing across the clearing, the pair saw that Krillin had just touched down nearby, smiling broadly while adorned in the Turtle School's signature orange gi.

"I take it the two of you are waiting for those crazy massive power levels heading in this direction," the short, bald warrior chirped, at the same time straightening up from his crouching stance and setting a hand on his hip. "If you ask me, I'd say you guys could use some backup."

While Raditz grinned at the arrival of one of his other compatriots, Piccolo gave a lighthearted laugh toward Goku's friend. "Sure. Why not? The more the merrier. It's what you guys have been training for all this time." He then folded his arms over his chest. "But just so you know, things are about to get really intense around here. So do your best to keep up."

"Oh, I think I can manage," the short fighter exclaimed in a confident tone as he grinned back at his best friend's arch rival. "After all, I've been training with you two power houses for the last six months- and both of you are the most hardcore and terrifying fighters I know next to Chi-Chi. So taking these two Saiyans on is going to be a walk in the park."

Sensing the young man's confidence, Raditz gave him a broad, Saiyan-like smile. "Heh. I admire that spunk of yours, cue ball. Just make sure Kakarot's mate doesn't catch you saying that about her, because I'm pretty sure she'll tear you a new one if she hears you calling her that."

"What's this about Goku's wife?" a new, shrill voice suddenly echoed onto the scene, causing the three men standing in the clearing to stiffen. When their eyes turned skywards, the group suddenly saw a yellow cloud shoot overhead, before a silhouette suddenly dove down and landed in front of them in a blur of movement. Once all eyes focused on the newcomer, they saw none other than Chi-Chi herself standing in front of them. The second the raven haired woman in the blue qi-pao and the rope wrapped around her body appeared, she narrowed her eyes on the group and smirked. "I heard you say my name. Is there something the three of you want to say to me?"

While Raditz promptly swallowed his tongue and looked away nervously and Piccolo simply crossed his arms, Krillin- realizing he was the one now being stared at- laughed and raised his hands defensively. "Uhh, it… it was nothing, Chi-Chi. Heh-heh. Nothing for you to get worked up about." After chuckling away the terror and fear of death that was racking his small body, the diminutive fighter then gave the fierce woman a quick once over, before then noticing the things she was carrying on her back. "Hey. Isn't that Goku's _**Nyoibo**_ (Compliant Staff)?"

Chi-Chi, turning around and showing off the red staff she had sheathed into the case on her back, smiled broadly. "Uh-huh. I picked it up from my house on the way over here… along with _this_," the woman replied, grabbing the second item she had on and swinging it around. A loud whoosh echoed out when the female warrior showed off a green, palm-leaf shaped fan with the red trim and leather handle.

Piccolo balked when he recognized the second weapon. "The _**Bansho-sen**_ (Banana Palm Fan)? The mystical fan that can raise a typhoon with a single swing? You have that?"

"Yep," Chi-Chi grinned, casually propping it over her shoulder like it were a bat. "Goku and I managed to get our hands on it during our trip to Other World to visit Annin- the keeper and protector of the _Furnace of Eight Divisions_. Since we'll be facing off against a pair of aliens strong enough to level entire cities with a wave of their hands, I figured that these two things will come in real handy against them."

While the two earthlings gaped at the weapon that the woman had so generously brought along with her for the battle, Raditz glanced between all three members of the Z-crew with an incredibly puzzled look in play. Hearing all of these words being thrown around and how they were connected to Goku caused him to shake his head a few seconds later in confusion. "I feel like I'm missing out on some really interesting stories here…"

Chi-Chi, hearing this loud and clear, smirked at him. "Well… I'm sure my husband- _your_ brother- will be able to tell you all about them once he gets back. _**If**_ he gets back…"

Before anyone in that area could comment on the woman's remark over whether or not Goku had been wished back to life with the dragon balls, Piccolo- a nervous bead of sweat breaking out on his face- looked up towards the sky with a frown. "That's enough small talk. They're here."

At his announcement, Raditz, Chi-Chi and Krillin's heads snapped towards the sky above them where, through the glare of the sun, the trio immediately spotted the two, shadowy figures of their enemy. Slowly descending from their altitude side-by-side, the armor clad forms of the hulking Nappa and the fearsome Vegeta appeared before the small group of Z-fighters, both of them flashing similarly menacing smiles as their scouters beeped to indicate they'd found their prey.

The moment both groups spotted one another, a tense atmosphere instantly fell over the area.

Nappa, taking note of the four people staring up at them, chuckled in an amused tone. "Heh. So two more joined them. What do you suppose these four are doing out here in the middle of nowhere?"

A similarly eager grin crossed Vegeta's lips. "I think they were waiting for us. Yes, I'm sure of it. Oh… and look who else decided to join them." the prince remarked as his eyes fixated on the familiar, big-haired form of their former compatriot standing amongst them. "Little weakling Raditz."

As the four members of the Dragon Team glared up at the pair of foes staring down at them from above, Krillin felt his body start to tremble. Clenching his fists and raising them in an attempt to quell his body's nerves, the short fighter found himself unable to keep a straight face as the magnitude of what they were facing suddenly hit him square in the chest. "Whoa. This is it. It's really happening. So these are the Saiyans. Can you guys feel those power levels? They're even stronger than I imagined!"

The larger one was pretty damn big. But the little guy… he was on a whole other level.

While Krillin was freaking out at the scope of strength he could feel radiating off of their enemies, Chi-Chi, Raditz and Piccolo were easily able to keep it together. Their eyes fixating squarely on their targets, the three, battle-hardened warriors of the group watched as the pair of powerful extra-terrestrials floated down to the ground- touching down several meters ahead of them at virtually the same time. The moment they were down, the two separate groups promptly squared off.

"We meet at last," Vegeta remarked, his arms crossed and an arrogant on full display.

Standing in a row, the four defenders of the planet glared back at the two invaders- Chi-Chi's grip tightening around the handle of her fan while Krillin raised his fists even more and clenched them at his sides in a defensive position.

Piccolo, being the calmest of the lot, grunted when he felt the grins of the duo bear into them. "The pleasure is all mine." After a tense moment of silence drifted over the group, the demon of a fighter took a steady breath and frowned. Figuring that this stand-off wasn't going to last, he decided to make the first threat. "I'm only going to say this once- leave this planet. This is your first and last chance to get out of this alive."

The moment he heard the Namekian call out to him, Vegeta's eye twitched. "That voice." His lips quickly curled upwards into a smile. "I see. So _you're_ the one that defeated our former teammate one year ago. Piccolo, right? Yes. I figured that large power level would be you," the prince remarked, watching the warrior's expression tighten before his eyes shot towards his former comrade, who he could see standing beside the green fighter. "And speaking of old acquaintances, I'm surprised to see you're still alive, Raditz. What's a Saiyan like you doing with a group like this?"

Hearing the prince's jab towards him had the ex-Frieza Force soldier frown and grunt. "I think the answer to that question should be pretty obvious, Vegeta. After the two of you cut ties with me and threatened to hunt me down after I failed my mission, I figured the best thing I could do was join forces with these guys and help them fight against you two." He then put on a rather brave smirk and directed it at his former companions. "I reckon it was a win-win situation for me. And since we're being completely honest with each other, compared to you two assholes… I like these guys a hell of a lot more."

This comment actually had Piccolo, Krillin and Chi-Chi smile briefly at the Saiyan warrior standing between them, before the trio were drawn back to the enemy when they heard the shortest one chuckle.

"Oh really?" Vegeta asked sarcastically, snickering in a clearly unimpressed manner. "Well isn't that something? But to be frank with you, Raditz, I'm not surprised. After all, what more could we expect from a low-born, lower-class boot cleaner like you- blessed with absolutely no unique qualities or talent whatsoever?" He then smirked cockily as he fixed his glare upon the now frowning scout. "No wait. Scratch that. I don't think we can even call you a Saiyan anymore. You're far too weak and cowardly to possibly have any relation to our people." Vegeta's grin vanished and became replaced by a deep and disappointed frown. "You're nothing but a snake, a failure, and a traitor- something unpleasant lying in the gutter that I would rather step over. Instead of saving your honor and taking your own life when you had the chance, you decided to keep your miserable, worthless-self intact and stand against us."

Nappa, concurring with Vegeta's assessment- though personally finding it quite harsh- also threw the frowning Raditz an arrogant smirk. "Sorry, pal. But I'm afraid you've just signed your own death warrant."

At that moment, the bravely standing Raditz was filled with an intense, burning rage. His fists shaking as he stood there, baring his teeth and using all of his willpower to keep himself from snapping and lashing out at his former teammates for mocking him so openly, all the Saiyan male could do was stand there and snarl. It was a series of reactions that did not go unnoticed by his teammates, all of whom were also feeling quite offended at the disgusting words that the would-be leader of the Saiyans was using to belittle his former ally.

When Chi-Chi and Krillin noticed how angry Raditz was and saw how his body was shaking from the humiliating and derogatory words thrown at him, both human fighters knew they had to say something. While the young mother's eyes filled with sympathy and hurt for the man's pain, Krillin- puffing his chest out and gathering whatever courage he could, stepping forward and shouted at the pair in defense of his long-haired teammate.

"Hey, you jerks! That was completely uncalled for! Why in the world would you say something so horrible about one of your own?!" the bald fighter barked, at the same time throwing his arms out in disbelief. "I mean, geez! Wasn't Raditz one of your friends not that long ago?"

When Vegeta and Nappa frowned in Krillin's direction and saw his glare leveled at them, Chi-Chi also stepped forward and snapped at the two Saiyans. "Yeah! How dare you say such disgusting things about him! Even though you may think little of him, Raditz is far more of a warrior than you two think he is!" She then added to this by pointing across at the surprised mercenary standing next to Piccolo and continued her rant. "The fact that he's standing with us and facing down you cosmic rejects is proof of that! Don't you two scumbags have any sense of honor or decency?!"

"He may have been our enemy once, but not anymore," Krillin continued, speaking up in support of the tall warrior beside them. "He's a good man and our friend… and neither one of you has the right to talk down to him like that!"

Her fist clenching around the fan she was holding, the battle-ready Chi-Chi snarled. "Men who talk trash are usually the ones who lack the most discipline and self-respect! You Saiyans can take your comments and opinions, and shove them up your backsides!"

Being the innocent and normally kind-hearted young woman she was, Chi-Chi wasn't used to dealing out insults with offensive language- at least not on a regular basis. In truth, her words could be considered quite an age appropriate response for someone coping with bullies in their life. However, in spite of her subdued use of insults, it didn't mean Raditz didn't feel uplifted by her compliments and support. Once his brother's wife had finished chewing out the pair of extra-terrestrial warriors, the Saiyan mercenary felt a smile tug back onto his lips.

When he saw Chi-Chi glance across at him and give him an encouraging wink, the man felt all the resentment he had before leave him. "Thanks," he whispered, his chest swelling as he allowed himself to once again face down his two former comrades- both of whom were looking quite rocked by the verbal onslaught.

Vegeta and Nappa, feeling a tad bit surprised at having the short male and the woman lash out at them so brazenly, shared a look with one another. Upon which the pair then glared back at the heroic entourage and smirked.

"My. That's some big talk coming from a pair of useless earthlings. You may act tough, but I bet your battle powers are absolutely pitiful," the prince remarked in his usual, cocky tone. "Though I guess after taking a look at the company he's now keeping, I can see where Raditz finally managed to get all of his courage from… not to mention why his little brother decided to go turncoat on us. Weaklings and rejects are only strong when they gather together and fight as one. Neither one of them has the strength to stand on their own. You humans must have addled their brains with your talks of unity and friendship. Hmph… how pathetic."

It was then Nappa made a rather interesting observation about the collection of fighters in front of him, which then compelled the hulking fighter to address his partner. "Hey, Vegeta. I just noticed something. The green one standing next to Raditz… the _Piccolo_ guy… he's from Namek, isn't he?"

Vegeta, turning his gaze back to the silent, brooding demon of the Z-fighters, nodded at his comrade's question. "Yes, he's a Namekian alright. No wonder our old friend had such a hard time against him and Kakarot. Both of his foes were from two completely different planets. Though admittedly they were still incredibly weak by comparison."

Though the announcement didn't stun Raditz or Piccolo in the least, as both of them were already well-aware of this information, Chi-Chi couldn't help but give her husband's rival an odd look.

"Oh. You're from another planet, Piccolo?" the raven haired woman asked- not quite expecting that as she always assumed the man was born on earth. In truth, though he was, it was a technicality that was easily overlooked.

Taking the question in stride, the Namekian nodded. "Yes. Kami and I are from another world… though the two of us still call this planet our rightful home."

Chi-Chi nodded, at the same time glancing over at Krillin and seeing the man smile her way and shrug. After which the duo then returned their attention to their visitors.

The Saiyan Prince, lifting a hand to his chin, then gave it a rub as he contemplated this little nugget of information. "I am curious. Since you come from such a far off, isolated world like Namek… it certainly explains why a backward race like these earthlings would have artefacts like the dragon balls in their possession. Considering this planet's lack of high battle powers, cosmic sorcery, and other resources of significant value, it stands to reason that a member of another alien race hiding out on this rock would have brought and introduced magic to the population of this world."

By this point, Nappa found himself looking down at his teammate with a look of confusion. "What are you getting at, Vegeta?"

Getting straight to the point, the prince clicked his finger and pointed across at the Namekian in a triumphant manner. "The Namekian… _he_ created the dragon balls. Not the earthlings. Such a skill would be beyond the capabilities of such primitive life forms." The flame-haired warrior then smirked at the green fighter. "I won't waste any more time with formalities. Tell us where the dragon balls are. Now!"

While the entire team of Z-fighters backed up momentarily at the rather demanding tone Vegeta used, with Raditz and Piccolo bracing themselves defensively, Krillin quickly chimed in with a stutter.

"B-But… no one knows where they are," the bald fighter commented as he looked across at the pair of Saiyans and watched Vegeta lower his hand. "Since we already used the dragon balls to make a wish, they won't be active for another whole year. So no one will be able to find them… not even the people who know how."

Nappa smirked at the short fighter's response and promptly shot down his explanation. "That's enough. We know the balls are down here, so there's no point in playing dumb or trying to hide them from us." The large Saiyan then raised his hand and clenched it into a fist in a threatening gesture. "Make no mistake- we _will_ find them- either with you alive or with you dead. So we're going to give you this one chance. Tell us where they are… or prepare to be crushed. It's your decision."

While Krillin tensed up fearfully for but a moment, Chi-Chi, Piccolo and Raditz all promptly crouched down and slid into their respective fighting stances. While the Namekian assumed his signature _Demon Claw_ stance, the long-haired Saiyan swung his arms out and locked himself into a stance similar to his brother's, and the lone female warrior slid her foot out and propped the Bansho fan into a downward facing position along her arm- taking on a textbook _Ko Gasumi_ samurai stance. When they took their positions, Krillin also followed suit- standing alongside his companions in a mantis stance as they glared their enemies down.

"Enough!" Piccolo barked, a big grin crossing his lips as he saw Vegeta and Nappa recoil at their synchronized movements. "We're not here to bow down to your demands! We're here to fight! So go ahead and do whatever it is you came here to do!"

Upon sizing up the four, now fully guarded warriors, an incredibly calm Vegeta chuckled and crossed his arms once more. "I guess they're not going to tell us where the dragon balls are, Nappa."

The bald Saiyan standing beside the prince scoffed. "Wanna bet?" the man snickered, at the same time reaching up with his finger and pressing the button on his scouter. "Alright, if that's how they want to play it, let's see how strong these punks really are." The instant he engaged his device, Nappa watched as a cluster of numbers began jumping up onto his screen, the readings changing as he shifted his gaze from one fighter to the next- starting with Krillin. "Okay… the midget is at one thousand, one hundred." He then moved the lens to Piccolo. "The Namekian is at two thousand." He then directed the lens to Raditz. "Our old pal is at two thousand, one hundred." He then finally shifted it over to Chi-Chi. "And the human female is at one thousand, five hundred. Ha! You fools! Do you really think you can take us on with such puny power levels?"

Processing the numbers that Nappa read out, Vegeta frowned momentarily before then removing his scouter. "Hey, Nappa. Take your scouter off," the prince remarked, before promptly looking behind him at his teammate to see him glance over at him in surprise. "It seems these earthlings know how to concentrate energy and raise their fighting powers. These figures are most unreliable." He then promptly dropped his device.

Quickly getting what his teammate was telling him, Nappa chuckled and did as instructed. "Hey, right. Good call. I'm guessing our former teammate over there managed to learn how to control his energy as well." He then slipped his device into the beltline of his tail wrapped around his waist, securing it next to him.

Upon relieving themselves of their units, a smirking Vegeta crossed his arms again. "I think it's time we had a little fun with them," the prince remarked, before quickly looking behind him at his teammate. "Better yet, get those Saibamen we've been saving out. There should be six of them left. They'll do."

Nappa chuckled, "You're too much. You really know how to have fun."

This news had Krillin and Chi-Chi recoil, with Piccolo's expression hardening in response. "Wait… aren't those…?"

Raditz nodded to his teammate, "Yep. Watch out."

From their defensive positions, the four Z-warriors watched Nappa wander over to an open patch of ground, kneel down, and poke a few holes into the earth with his finger. He then proceeded to crack open a small, plastic capsule he'd been carrying in the back pocket of his spandex, and drop a total of six tiny seeds into each of the gaps. Upon covering them and spilling a few drops of green liquid over the area he'd planted the marbles, the Saiyan then took several steps back.

Vegeta, his teammate, and the group of defenders then looked on with anticipation as the ground around the affected area started to quiver and quake. Seconds later, a total of six green, veiny heads popped out of the floor, which was then followed by six carapace creatures that sprouted from the dirt like daisies. Shaking and trembling as they grew to full size in a battle of seconds, the collection of six, child-sized aliens all gave a collective screech as they stepped out of the holes they'd burst from and moved out onto open ground. When their eyes flickered open, they immediately snapped to the four warriors watching them from the other side of the field.

Krillin, not expecting the Saibamen Raditz had mentioned to them to look like that, gulped and grinned nervously and the murderous grins the critters shot their way. "Well… at least they're shorter than I am."

Grinning at the looks of surprise that came over the group's faces, Vegeta grinned as he watched the squad of six newly grown plant soldiers stagger forward- bearing their claws and their beaks at the heroes. With his pawns now fully hatched and ready for combat, both the prince and his partner Nappa were eager to test them out on the earthlings.

"Impressive, aren't they?" the leader of the Saiyans asked, at the same time watching as the six little green men marched towards the heroes, like a group of cats stalking a family of mice. A laugh then followed Vegeta's little query. "This group should be a sufficient enough force to put all of you weaklings down for the count. Especially you Raditz- considering they're the exact same strength as you are."

It was then, just when it seemed like the four Z-fighters were about to fly into battle against the band of little imps, a smug grin tugged at Raditz's lips. When Vegeta and Nappa spotted this, they then heard their former companions speak up. "I wouldn't be so sure about that," the long-haired warrior remarked, catching the attention of the two Saiyans and causing the approaching Saibamen to suddenly march to a stop. "You see, after I joined up with Kakarot's friends, I told them everything I knew about you two- about your techniques, your weaknesses, and how strong both of you actually are. During this last month, when I realized we needed to get a bit more of an edge, I asked Kami if he could help us out a little."

Nappa, overhearing this, cocked an eyebrow, "What?"

Knowing exactly where this was going, Piccolo also decided to chime in. "Believe it or not, all of us got to spend some time in this little, magical room in the old man's palace that allowed us to get an extra month of training in just a couple short hours. It was long and nearly drove us bonkers, but every single one of us was able to get all the time we needed to polish up our skills and push us to the level we needed to reach."

This statement had Vegeta frown. "An extra month? What do you mean?"

Raditz chuckled, "It means you've been played, prince." At that moment, the man reached behind him, pressed the button on the scouter in his belt, and shouted. "NOW!"

All of a sudden, just as Vegeta, Nappa and their Saibamen were looking a little dumbfounded, a shocking event suddenly occurred in which one of the green soldier's heads exploded in a blast of blue goop- an anomaly accompanied by a distant, loud gunshot. The moment the little imp's head went off in a spectacular splatter of brains and gore, the five remaining plant men all looked around in alarm, seconds before each and every one of them were suddenly cut down by a barrage of targeted, tiny projectiles that came flying in from the distance.

The moment they saw their first soldier get hit, with a large pot hole being punched into the ground to their far left, an alarmed Vegeta and Nappa spun around, raised their arms and powered up- just in time to deflect the hail of golden bolts that began hitting them from the distance. While the pair managed to deflect most of them, their five remaining Saibamen ended up getting torn to shreds, as the bullets ripped through them like knives through paper.

The force of the bullets slamming into their energy coated limbs caused Vegeta and Nappa to lurch back a bit, as the powered rounds rammed into them with the force of a locomotive behind each one. Several shots managed to knock the larger Saiyan's arm back, while a final one slammed into his shoulder plate and smashed through it, sending the bald warrior stumbling away.

"GAH! What the fuck?!" Nappa shouted, quickly raising his arm and parrying another tracer that slammed into him, smashing into his arm and cutting it. "Damn it! Who the hell is shooting at us?!"

"A sniper!" Vegeta growled, quickly dodging a large round that shot past him and slammed into the floor behind him and detonated. His eyes quickly snapped towards the horizon as he attempted to locate the shooter. "They're coming from over that ridge! But where?!"

As it turns out, as the Z-fighters were watching the flustered Saiyans attempt to track down their hidden attacker, about ten miles away in the direction the prince was looking, positioned atop a very high, rocky tor, the familiar, prone form of Launch could be seen lying close to the edge and peering through the scope of green Steyr SSG 69 Sniper rifle.

Wearing her pair of tight, black spandex pants, white top and brown leather jacket, the blonde woman with the red bow casually chewed the stick of gum in her mouth as she peered through the modified scope of her weapon, and took aim at the Saiyans she could see positioned in the computerized crosshairs. Cocking back on the bolt and speed loading her weapon with a snap, Launch gave a chuckle of enjoyment.

"Enjoy my ki-enhanced bullets, you pricks," the woman exclaimed, a white aura surrounding her and her weapon, causing a golden steam to radiate off of her rifle. "Take this!" She then braced and pulled the trigger, a loud bang ringing out as her rifle fired a tiny, glowing bullet at several times the speed of sound across the curvature of the planet towards her targets ten miles away.

This specially powered shot flew towards Vegeta, who crossed his arms over and took the shot that slammed into him and knocked him skidding back around the floor after it broke his arms apart. A growl of frustration left his lips as he glared into the distance.

"Little pest!"

Chi-Chi, grinning at seeing Launch's suppressing fire do its job, then clenched her fists and yelled. "Alright, boys! Let's give these brutes a scare!" Doing as she instructed, the group of four fighters then braced themselves and powered up, loud yells of fury leaving their lips as each and every one of them summoned up an aura that flared up around them and started to beat at a furious pace.

Feeling the ground starting to shake and quickly looking back at the four fighters in front of them, Vegeta and Nappa blinked in alarm when they noticed flames of light suddenly surround their enemies' bodies and begin to burn brightly. As bits of debris and steam lifted off of the ground around the group, their auras gained more density and consistency.

Not exactly sure what was happening, but knowing that this was something bad, Nappa hurriedly reached back for his scouter, fitted it over his ear and pressed the main switch. When the numbers on his lens jumped up, the bald fighter recoiled in horror when he saw exactly what was now standing in front of him.

"Uh… V-Vegeta… ow!" Nappa shouted, before reflexively blocking another bullet that shot down at him from the distance, cracking his gauntlet.

"What is it, Nappa?!" the prince demanded, keeping his guard up as he watched the four Z-fighters powering up.

"I… I don't know how to explain it…" the hulking fighter shouted back, eyes almost bugging out as he scanned each of the four fighters one after the other. "Their… Their power levels just exploded!"

"Talk to me! What are we looking at?!"

"You're not going to believe this…" Nappa stuttered while clenching his fist. "The midget's and the woman's power levels have jumped up to four thousand! But the Namek and Raditz's power levels have gone up to seven! No… eight! Eight fucking thousand! That's higher than my absolute maximum!" Sweat started to pour from the bald warrior's head as he watched the group's energy levels continue to skyrocket, causing him to take several steps back in alarm. "W-WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!"

With their auras at full burn, all of the fighters then glared the pair of flabbergasted Saiyans down. When the ground stopped trembling and the rubble floating around the group ceased hovering, a now cockily grinning Piccolo and Raditz faced down the prince as he gawked at them from the safety of his high ground.

Of course, that high ground was looking a little low at the moment.

"What do you think of us weaklings now, your highness?" Raditz asked, baring his fangs in a cocky manner while Piccolo, Chi-Chi and Krillin joined him in glaring at the two warriors.

Vegeta, having just about enough with this farce and insubordination from his former teammate, allowed his anger to fully boil over- shattering the remainder of his patience. Giving a low growl of his own, the flame-haired man then felt a grin tug back at his lips. Taking a deep breath, he then answered, "What do I think? I'll show you exactly what I think!" With a swift hand movement and a burst of ki, the prince- without even looking- then aimed two fingers to his right, before firing off a brilliant _Bang Blast_ from his digits, sending a bolt of barely visible energy arcing across the sky.

Launch- watching carefully through the scope of her rifle from her position on the mountain- noticed the flash leave Vegeta's fingers. A split second later, she sensed his ki spike and a wave of killing intent trigger the danger signals in her head. Eyes widening in alarm, the blonde with the red bow looked up in shock. "Oh, SHIT!" she shouted, before speedily picking up her rifle, scrambling to her feet and sprinting to the edge of her cliff. Before she could jump however, the air around her mountain sizzled and distorted, a split second before a gargantuan fireball suddenly engulfed the entire edifice she'd been standing on.

The Z-fighters confronting the two Saiyans down in the valley almost immediately noticed the flare of fire take place in the distance. Eyes turning towards the mountains on the horizon, the team of four spotted a massive explosion fill the sky, parting the clouds and shaking the atmosphere with its heat. Watching the mushroom cloud form, it took the squad a couple of seconds of observing to realize that what Vegeta had done was send a lightning fast attack at where Launch had been hiding. When the roar of his attack going off reverberated across the countryside in the form of a shockwave, the group's jaws all dropped at once.

Raditz appeared especially shocked, as he certainly wasn't counting on Vegeta suddenly targeting Launch at such a distance. His eyes went hollow and a choked gasp left his mouth as he stared in abject horror at the veritable nuke the prince had managed to drop on his friend's position.

The sight of his former subordinate's stunned face gaping at the destruction he'd wrought put a smile back on the prince's lips, who then turned in the direction he'd blindly aimed his fingers in. "Oops. Do you think I got a little bit carried away there?" he remarked, at the same time giving a very dark and pitiless chuckle.

The Saiyan mercenary meanwhile, stretching out with his senses and being unable to locate Launch, suddenly felt his hands clench into fists and his jaw tighten. "You… you…" the man hissed, his arms starting to shake as the realization that his friend had been hit by the explosion- the very woman who he'd spent the most time with on this planet and showed him the most kindness during his days of training and lamentation- had been taken out in the blink of an eye. "You… killed her…"

And he didn't have time to even react.

Catching wind of his former ally's whispered response, Vegeta snickered. "How sloppy of me. I guess your companion wasn't expecting me to return fire. I suppose that's a lesson well learned for them."

Chi-Chi and Krillin, quickly looking across at Raditz, then balked when they suddenly saw the enraged look cross his face, as the spiky haired warrior snapped his blank eyes towards Vegeta and growled. In that moment, feeling incredibly concerned for their teammate's safety, the shortest member of the troop spoke up.

"Um, Raditz…?"

The words acting like a trigger, the restraints that were holding back Raditz finally snapped as the long haired warrior clenched his fists, inhaled sharply, before letting out a primal howl of rage. "VEGETAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" the man bellowed, his white aura exploding around him as his muscles suddenly seemed to bulk up. The instant his aura flared and punched a small fissure into the ground beneath him, the Saiyan leaned forward before bolting straight towards the two Saiyans. "HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Both Nappa and Vegeta were completely unprepared for Raditz's outburst, the roar of his aura and scream of rage deafening the entire area as he charged towards them in a blur of movement. The prince's eyes snapped towards the group in surprise, but he was unable to react with any coherent action when he was suddenly tackled by his former subordinate and sent flying into the mountain behind them.

Not even stopping as he kept his arms wrapped around Vegeta's gut, the howling Raditz powered the man through the rocky outcrop and leveled it with a deafening bang. When they exploded out the other side of the plateau as it collapsed in on itself, the man flew on and slammed him into the next one. However, instead of going through it, the rogue Saiyan ended up slamming his former boss straight into the side of the cliff.

The air being knocked clean out of Vegeta's lungs, the stunned prince gave out a gasp of shock before he suddenly received an uppercut to the chin, followed by a hook across the cheek that practically cleaned his clock. In a blur of furious movement, Raditz laid into the prince with several more powerful punches, knocking his head around with several crushing blows that served to also smash a divot into the side of the mountain. After which, the infuriated warrior grabbed the dazed prince by the head with both hands, drew it back, and began slamming it repeatedly into the side of the mountain.

Treating Vegeta's head like a rock, Raditz repeatedly and without hesitation drove the prince's skull into the side of the mountain over and over again- the impact of each blow shaking the tower of rock and causing chunks of it to start cascading off of its host. In between each concussive blow, the mercenary Saiyan and former solder cried and shouted with every impact, letting all of the pent up rage, anger, and resentment he'd felt for the Saiyan Prince over the years come pouring out of him at the same rate his aura continued to flare.

"DIE! DIE! DIE! YOU MURDERING, SELF-ABSORBED PRICK!" Raditz screamed, ramming Vegeta's head into the mountain a total of eighteen times, which was then about to lead into another one. However, before he could do so, the Saiyan was suddenly rammed into the side by a massive shoulder suddenly darting out of nowhere and knocking him out of the way.

The force of Nappa slamming into Raditz with a full-body check caused a shockwave to ring out as he sent his former comrade bouncing across the valley. After the warrior was sent smashing through a boulder, the surprised older sibling managed to recover midflight and perform a summersault in recovery. Slamming into the ground on all fours, the black haired warrior skidded to a stop, his aura dissipating as his white eyes snapped up to see the large Saiyan had come to save Vegeta from his beating.

Teeth bared, the bald Saiyan commander turned towards his prince. "Vegeta! Are you alright?!"

The short warrior, leaning with his back against the side of the mountain and his body hunched forward, panted several times before looking up. Though his face only had one noticeable bruise on his right cheek, due to having his head being treated as a hammer for a total of five seconds, the repeated blows had caused several cuts to open in his hairline. This caused a thin trail of blood to run down from his oddly shaped hairline and over his face- a sight that caught Nappa off guard.

"Yeah. Yeah. I'm fine," Vegeta growled, before his gaze snapped towards Raditz who was crouching several yards away. "He just caught me by surprise. That's all."

Nappa, inhaling sharply, then turned towards Raditz and powered up as well. His muscles swelling and forming veins and golden electricity began to vibrate off of his enormous mass, the bald fighter then took a stance and held a fist up in front of him. "Alright, Raditz! How about you pick on someone in your own weight-class, you pathetic excuse for a Saiyan!" the warrior shouted.

Comically enough, this was all Nappa was able to come up with as a way to goad his ex-comrade into a fight, as a split second later the man's eyes widened before he too ended up being tackled by Raditz and sent careening across the valley. A surprised Vegeta could only watch in alarm as his teammate was blasted off his feet and sent flying into another distant mountain, as the enraged Saiyan mercenary that had previously been part of his cohort proceeded to lay the smack-down on his aggressors in an unbridled fit of righteous fury.

When the pair exploded out the other side, Raditz had managed to grab the bulked up Nappa by the face and had proceeded to drag the son of a bitch through the earth- tearing a trench through the ground while using the very glorious, glittering baldness of the Saiyan's cranium as a makeshift shovel. The screams and shouts of 'ow-ow-ow-ow-ow' were repeatedly uttered by Nappa as his former friend drove him through the ground before slamming him into another hill, which seemingly collapsed on top of both of them.

Looking on as the plateau collapsed in the distance prompted the now recovered Vegeta to stand upright and growl through gritted teeth. "Where the hell did all of that come from?" the man asked out loud, estimating that he'd probably been knocked around by Raditz when his power level somehow managed to spike to about fifteen thousand in one second. But that seemed incredibly unlikely.

Unfortunately he could say the same thing about the next attack that came at him, because the second Vegeta turned around, he suddenly had the rest of the wind knocked out of his lungs when an orange, spiraling beam of fast-moving energy unexpectedly slammed into his stomach and buried him into the center of his second mountain.

The blindly fast attack of Piccolo's _**Makankōsappō**_ (Demon's Penetrating, Killing Light Gun) managed to tunnel Vegeta through the mountain and out the other side, ending with a colossal, fiery explosion that sent the hapless prince rag dolling across the landscape before he managed to flip back onto his feet and slide to a stop.

Letting out a shout of pain as he placed a hand over his torso plate, which had been cracked thanks to the beam exploding against him, Vegeta then snapped his eyes up towards the collapsing mountain with a snarl. "Damn it! That was a cheap shot!" the man barked, only to blink when, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a golden bolt of energy shoot into the sky overhead.

"_**Kakusandan!" **_(Scattered Bullets) Krillin's shout echoed out, before the large blast ruptured and split into several energy balls that homed in on Vegeta's position.

The prince barely had enough time to leap into the air when the multitude of attacks struck the ground and decimated it, causing several small explosions to punch a crater into the floor. Taking to the air, the flame-haired warrior snarled as he watched the cloud of smoke and dust belch into the air after him, as the sneak attack had nearly managed to get him.

"Pathetic. Did you really think I would fall for that?" Vegeta shouted, only to suddenly get hit head on by a sudden and very powerful blast of wind that knocked him spinning back through the air. Screeching to a halt after several yards and looking up in alarm, the man was then hit by yet another powerful jet of wind, which knocked him back again, and again, and again. After the fourth blast, which the prince managed to smack back, the airborne warrior then focused his glare ahead of him, where he saw Chi-Chi flying in front of him with her large, green fan drawn back and ready to fire. "You wretched cow. I'll show you!" Vegeta shouted, swinging his arm back before pitching his fingers forward- sending a crackling ball of orange fire flying towards the martial artist.

In response, Chi-Chi smirked and promptly swung the fan again, giving a loud shout of effort as she launched another, highly compressed blast of wind equivalent to a miniature typhoon towards the attack. Both the fireball and the wind ball collided in midair, they detonated with tremendous force- filling the sky with a fiery, orange explosion that would've incinerated anything caught in the center of it. As the woman shielded herself against the shockwave, she barely had enough time to spot Vegeta charging at her through the flames, before swinging out at her with a punch.

Tracking his attack, Chi-Chi quickly darted to the side and dodged his blow, only to see the warrior spin around and follow her. Before he could throw another attack and nail her, Vegeta suddenly felt his body jerk to a stop when something grabbed his leg. "What the-?" He quickly looked down and stumped to see a big, green hand had managed to fly up, catch hold of his ankle, and hold him in place- with the hand being attached to an arm that Piccolo had stretched up from the ground below. Before he could question where the hand had come from, the Saiyan Prince swung an arm up in time to block a kick from Chi-Chi when she flew down at him to deliver the blow.

Blocking several more furious attacks from the woman as she shouted with each swing, yet being hampered by the hand still holding his leg, Vegeta was then forced to block another assault from the side when Krillin suddenly came flying in to join the fray. The short fighter lashed out at the prince, exchanging several blows in time with Chi-Chi's that were parried by the warrior, before eventually being nailed across the face by a swift back fist. But then, just before Vegeta could follow that up with another attack, he was sharply yanked down by the hand holding his ankle and forced to look down when he saw Piccolo retracting himself up his arm towards his opponent. During which time the warrior opened his mouth and fired a golden blast from it up at the Saiyan Prince.

Yelping in alarm, Vegeta crossed his arms over his face, produced a shield, and deflected the blast when it crashed into him. Though he was successful, the man was so distracted by the onslaught then when he sensed another attack coming from behind, he was hit by another vicious blast of wind that slashed up the front of his armor and sent him careening across the sky- as Chi-Chi had managed to hit him with another wind attack.

Skidding to a stop in the sky and giving a growl of frustration, Vegeta was about to throw himself at them again, until he was unexpectedly smashed over the head by a solid, golden ball dropping down from the sky from a high angle and clocking him clean in the skull. Letting out a shout of pain as the ball exploded against him, the Saiyan Prince was sent spinning out of the air, only to then slam onto the ground on all fours a second later. Being unable to sense the attack coming due to no longer having his scouter, the short warrior quickly stood up and glared up at the sky. "What? Who did that?"

When his attention fixed on the direction where that ball had come from, he suddenly spotted an adult, human male with long, messy black hair, and wearing the same orange and blue gi that Krillin was sporting- designating him as a member of the Turtle School. The scars on his face, as well as the stance that he'd taken with his fingers pointed downwards, indicating that he'd just finished unloading his signature technique- the _**Sokidan**_ (Winding Energy Bullet) – upon his opponent, identified him as none other than a newly arrived Yamcha.

Having been waiting to launch a surprise attack of his own on the Saiyans, the human martial artist smirked when he saw the prince glaring up at him. "Yo! What's up, grumpy?" the man casually called out in a cheeky tone.

As Vegeta stared up at the newcomer, completely bewildered by where he'd come from, the warrior then saw Piccolo, Chi-Chi and Krillin fly into view, all of them taking up scattered positions throughout the sky above his position. Counting that he was now facing four opponents as opposed to three, the now outnumbered prince felt his temper rise, his teeth grit, and his energy start to climb. When a light steam began to rise off of his body at his flaring energy level, warning the group above that he was about to attack, Vegeta briefly closed his eyes, inhaled sharply, and growled.

Moments later, as an irritable vein appeared along his forehead, a dark, foreboding chuckle left his throat.

"Heh. Now this is a very familiar feeling," Vegeta growled, before turning his gaze upwards and showing off the rage burning in his eyes as even more veins appeared along his brow. "I sure hope you four are ready… because this is the first time in a while that a group of nobodies has managed to piss me off."

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Author's Note:** lol. Aside from the plot developments here, if nothing else, I think you guys can sort of guess who the rest of the members of the Blizzard Corp are now. It'll give you a much better idea of where I'm taking this fic… or none at all. Depends on how sharp you guys are.

If you guys noticed, I'm taking already well-known and existing aspects of the DBZ plot and adding it to the story to create a more compelling narrative. Why the Hyperbolic Time Chamber was never used prior to the Android Saga is a plot hole that can simply be explained by the fact that the author didn't even create it until the Android Saga and was only flimsily explained by Goku why he never used it. However, to explain its use here, you could say that Kami perhaps didn't feel the need to use it with the Z-fighters in the original story, because he felt they'd developed enough on their own. But with some convincing from Raditz, the entire team was able to get some time in the room before Vegeta's arrival in pairs, but only for a month- because the strain of the room on them at their current level of strength and ability would've likely made them insane- as according to Goku the room was very taxing for him (granted he did go in by himself). Therefore- limited time was alotted to each member of the group.


	20. Lord Slug Saga - Saiyan v Dragon 2point0

Be sure to check out my paetreon for updates on my latest projects (I'm dividing my time between a lot, particularly my comic and novel, so my updates here are going to be spotty). I finished the drawn pages for my Gohan X Zangya dojin, and now I'm in the colour process. You can view the uncoloured version of my dojin for free on my paetreon, but if you want to see the coloured version in the future when it's finished, more of my works, or want to show your support, feel free to join up.

If I get enough support I'll make doujins of Gohan for more of my one shots- perhaps even a Teen Gohan X Maron dojin, a Teen Gohan X Bulma dojin, and more if it gets popular.

* * *

**Dragonball Z**

_**Alter Age**_

_Saiyan vs Dragon 2.0_

(Meanwhile)

(Onboard Frieza's Secondary Flagship)

There was a blinding flash followed by a loud explosion, as for the ten-dozenth time that morning another group of Saibamen were instantly and effortlessly wasted by a single, pink death beam cutting through their ranks. The squad of synthetic soldiers, grown only five minutes ago, all let out simultaneous screeches of fright as they were all blown to pieces and brought to a swift, decisive end.

As charred limbs and bits of carapace cascaded to the ground at the back of the dome-shaped chamber- the metal tiles sizzling from the heat of the sudden eruption that'd taken place- over on the other end of the room, the perpetrator behind the spectacular kill shot could be seen standing with a look of utter distaste on his face.

With one hand locked behind his back and a finger calmly extended, the horned, pink, ribbed skinned form of Frieza- assumed in his first restricted form- could be seen glaring daggers at the scattered corpses littering the far side of his ship's training room. Having spent the better part of the past hour practically obliterating every single thing that was sent out to face him, the youngest prince of the Cold Empire was taking what was officially his second, big shot at a concept that- up until this point- had been completely abysmal to him.

_Training_.

The word had rolled off his tongue like a piece of bitter food that he'd tried and failed to swallow at one of his seldomly held banquets on one of the exotic planets in his branch of the empire. Having spent the better part of his long youth practically steamrolling through everything in life with barely any effort, due in most part to his genetic gifts and monstrous strength, the young warlord had come to the startling and irritating realization that he probably needed to start putting work behind mastering his skills.

His recent brush with the self-proclaimed Lord Slug's secret weapon and having his ass thoroughly handed to him for the first time in a while, had given him the extra incentive to begin taking his position as would-be conqueror and ruler of the quadrant a little more seriously. So, with his utter, humiliating defeat still fresh in his mind, the terrifying commander of his branch of the PTO was wading himself through the shallows of what several of his subordinates referred to as a "standard training session."

However, considering how ignorant he was of the processes behind the art of practice makes perfect, Frieza approached the act of training with a very impatient mood and a flippant attitude. Having to lift even a finger to perform even the most basic of exercises was tiresome to him, which was why after gunning down his hundredth Saibaman in a row the lizard emperor could only give a disgruntled growl of annoyance as he watched the carcasses smolder.

"I can't believe I'm reduced to this," Frieza grumbled, lifting the hand he'd been using to fire death beams with and checking his palm in a thoughtful manner. "Expending my energy on such a primitive task to improve myself. Surely there has to be a more elegant way of refining one's abilities without having to resort to such barbaric activities."

On the upside though, even after only twenty-four hours of practice, the young emperor felt his proficiency and control had improved slightly. His power output, as well as the consistency on which he was able to perform his signature techniques, has also become slightly more refined and precise, which led Frieza to conclude that perhaps this "training" did have some hidden benefits behind it after all.

Nevertheless, the young tyrant still viewed the act of exerting any form of effort as a bothersome task, which was why after lowering his arm he then turned and addressed one of the cameras he knew were lining the perimeter of the training room.

"Send in one of this sector's strongest soldiers," Frieza demanded, his voice sharp despite its low and aggravated tone. "Someone who can at least try to fight back."

"_**A-At once, sire,"**_ came the stuttered reply of one of the footmen he had working the machines on the other side of the wall.

For the next minute Frieza stood there patiently, checking his nails while also allowing his gaze to wander around the room. When the metal door to the training facility slid open and the tyrant turned towards the entryway, he then narrowed his gaze when he saw a large, hulking red humanoid alien with a strong jaw, brown nose and horns clad in white and yellow RIT body armor and black trunks, come marching into his midst.

Moving over to where the charred remains of the Saibamen were lying and stopping at the edge of the residue burn marks in the floor, the tall warrior turned and bowed in greeting to the emperor.

"And who are you, young man?" Frieza asked after giving the soldier a quick glance over from top to bottom.

The demon-looking warrior peered up with an unchanging, firm expression. "My name is Shisami, my lord. Manager of the expeditionary Fifth Naval Force, recruited by Sorbet five months ago to serve as one of your commanders in this region."

"Hmm… so you're a newcomer?" Frieza asked, tilting his head in a rather careless fashion as he surveyed the man further. "You must've made quite an impression on my subordinate to prompt him to recruit you." A smile then curled up on the man's lips as he casually swung his right hand about. "I bet you have a lot of guts and intelligence to be promoted to a lead position in my force."

Shisami flinched a little at the smug glare the young emperor shot him. "I have been known to be quite tenacious."

A snicker left the emperor's throat. "We'll see," he remarked, before swinging his right hand forward and firing off a pink death beam towards the stern red-skinned warrior.

The attack shot at blazing speed towards the officer, with Frieza suspecting it was going to hit. However, much to the horned ruler's surprise, he suddenly saw Shisami dart to the side before dashing forward- as if he were expecting the attack from the very beginning. Initially recoiling at the soldier's reaction, the prince then redirected his aim swiftly and fired a second shot towards the oncoming devil.

Obviously desperate to try and get close to the emperor to land a hit, Shisami was moving too fast and in too straight a line to respond to the second death beam, which hit him square in the chest and knocked him flying back. His body slammed into the wall of the training room with a loud bang, before he eventually dropped to the hard floor.

The moment he dropped his target and saw smoke rise off his body, Frieza frowned and dropped his hand, a look of momentary disappointment coming over him. A few seconds later however, just as he was thinking he'd knocked his soldier out or killed him, the prince balked when- after letting out a low groan- he saw Shisami slowly push himself off the tiles.

Shakily getting to one knee and revealing a huge hole had been blasted into his chest armor, the burnt and bleeding Shisami gasped for air as he glared heatedly back at his superior. Through the blurriness of his vision, he saw the somewhat surprised look come over Frieza's face, before a smile tugged at the emperor's lips.

"Oh my. Tenacious indeed," the prince exclaimed, before lifting his head as he looked back at his newest subordinate in an impressed manner. "Though I don't have a scouter with me, I estimate your battle power to be a little over twenty-five thousand. Yet you were able to stand up after taking a direct hit from my killing move at almost pointblank range. Nicely handled, Shisami-san."

The red warrior choked out a gasp while clutching the wound over his breastbone. "Th-Thank you… my lord."

Frieza chuckled before nodding towards the door. "I think I may have found an interesting sparring partner in you. Head over to the medical bay and get yourself healed up. I expect you to be back here in the next few hours."

In response, Shisami lowered his head in a weak bow. "At once, sire." Through sheer effort and force of will, the red, horned warrior slowly pushed himself to his feet and- using the wall for support- marched his way towards the exit.

At around the same time the stricken elite lumbered his way through the archway that opened before him, a second, much shorter individual suddenly shuffled through the entrance. Giving Shisami room as his bleeding subordinate limped passed, the diminutive, blue and robed form of the diminutive Sorbet then quick-footed his way over to where Frieza was standing. He stopped beside him just in time to see the prince testing his fingers.

"Send in another officer! Someone strong!" Frieza shouted towards the camera- giving clear, explicit instructions to the men he had working in the monitor room. Upon giving his order, the cross-looking tyrant then snapped his gaze towards his newly arrived subordinate, who he heard squeak the second his red eyes landed on him. "What is it, Sorbet?"

The blue man with the red cape hanging off his old-fashioned white RIT armor, the blue-skinned assistant with the black nose cleared his throat and answered his master with a stutter. "Forgive me, sire. I… don't mean to interrupt you in the middle of your training session, but… if I may humbly ask… why is an illustrious and all-powerful warrior such as yourself, subjecting himself to such a tedious and methodical exercise?"

Seeing Frieza's eye twitch caused Sorbet to cower a little, as he instantly thought that his question may have been both intrusive and rude. However, after several tense seconds of silence, the blue alien saw his master look away and narrow his eyes on the far wall.

"I can see why my current activity might appear quite puzzling to you, my subordinate. Frankly, I'm surprised you didn't approach me about why I'm even doing this to begin with. Despite my incredible talent and unmatched battle prowess, it pains me to admit that I am not as all-powerful and invincible as my subjects like to believe I am. Far from it," the alien overlord informed, causing the short fighter before him to gulp nervously. "Not only has my father proven to be a far more overwhelming and destructive force, but that little tussle I had with the reptilian beast aboard my ship has revealed that there are still _many_ heights I have yet to reach. Feats in strength that I have yet to tap."

Sorbet, swallowing nervously, then stuttered his reply. "You mean… you wish to become even more powerful than you are now?"

"FAR more powerful," Frieza corrected, his lift in volume causing his subordinate to almost jump out of his skin. Clenching a fist, the young warlord frowned. "The attack on my vessel was an event that should never have happened. I was too confident and complacent, thinking that my power alone would be enough to repel them. Well, I promise you, I will never let myself get caught unaware like that ever again."

Clearing his throat and taking a few breaths to stop himself from shivering, an intently listening Sorbet then gave a nod of understanding. "Of course, my lord."

Inhaling deeply, the angry prince then took a moment to compose himself, before eventually speaking. "Is there anything else you wish to inquire about, Sorbet?"

Quickly snapping out of his daze, the diminutive attendant then hurriedly fumbled in the pouch behind him and pulled out an electronic remote of some kind. "Y-Yes. Yes, my lord. There is in fact something else," the support officer stated, drawing the prince's gaze momentarily. "Our communication officers managed to pick up a transmission from one of your scouts in the southern regions of the northern quadrant. We believe it may be of some interest to you."

Frieza narrowed his eyes. "Who is it from?"

Sorbet smiled, "Prince Vegeta, your highness."

A low murmur left the emperor's lips as he glanced ahead of him. "So… the little prince is off on another expedition, is he? Hmph. Probably to conquer another heavily defended and valuable planet to curry some favor with me." He then closed his eyes and sighed. "Very well. Play the recording."

"A-At once, sire," Sorbet stammered, typing into the recorder before pressing the main button in the center with his thumb.

There were a few seconds of static before the distinct voice of Vegeta came blaring out of the device's speaker.

"_**Since you come from such a far off, isolated world like Namek… it certainly explains why a backward race like these earthlings would have artefacts like the dragon balls in their possession. Considering this planet's lack of high battle powers, cosmic sorcery, and other resources of significant value, it stands to reason that a member of another alien race hiding out on this rock would have brought and introduced magic to the population of this world."**_

This transmission quickly had Frieza turn his head and glare down at the recorder, with Sorbet waiting in anticipation as the rest of the conversation between Vegeta and the people on the other end played out.

Next, the booming voice of Nappa came through. _**"What are you getting at, Vegeta?"**_

"_**The Namekian. He created the dragon balls. Not the earthlings. Such a skill would be beyond the capabilities of such primitive lifeforms,"**_ there was a brief pause before the prince spoke again. _**"I won't waste anymore time with formalities. Tell us where the dragon balls are. Now!"**_

A second later, the squeaky voice of Krillin echoed through the recording. _**"B-But… no one knows where they are. Since we already used the dragon balls to make a wish, they won't be active for another whole year. So, no one will be able to find them… not even the people who know how!"**_

"_**That's enough," **_Nappa squawked back, his voice impatient in its answer. _**"We know the balls are down here, so there's no point in playing dumb and trying to hide them from us. Make no mistake- we will find them."**_

Stopping the recording there, Sorbet then smiled up at Frieza- who he noticed had cocked an eyebrow at the device in his hand. "Apparently Vegeta and his subordinate stumbled across a very valuable piece of information during their visit to the planet Earth. A collection of artefacts called dragon balls, created by a member of the Namekian race. Based on the conversation we just heard, we can deduce that these magical relics are capable of granting wishes."

Frieza's tail swished briefly as he eyed the device carefully, before then looking ahead of him thoughtfully. "Grant wishes, huh?" the tyrant said softly, pondering over the tidbit for what felt like minutes. As his mind quickly processed the intelligence shared with him by his attendant, a very foul grin then tugged at his lips. "Fascinating. I never truly considered the possibility that such a fantastical thing was possible in our universe. But it appears that I was wrong. Vegeta would never go out of his way to visit a far-off, low-level, dirt ball of a planet like Earth for nothing. So, what he's saying has got to be true." The emperor then glanced down at his waiting attendant with a smile. "Good work, Sorbet."

Smiling proudly at the words of praise, Sorbet then straightened his back. "Should I begin plotting a course for Earth then, sire?"

"No. Not the Earth," Frieza replied, causing his attendant to balk momentarily before listening in. "Like the other voice in the recording said- their dragon balls won't be active for another year. Therefore, there's no guarantee that by the time we arrive on their planet these artefacts will be available for use. There's also a good chanced that these earthlings would hide them or destroy them to prevent others from acquiring them, especially since Vegeta is already on their world. There has to be another alternative." Thinking on it for a few seconds, the emperor smirked and glanced down at Sorbet. "Have you men start scouring the northern quadrant for the Planet Namek."

Instructions given, Sorbet smirked before bowing, "At once, your grace."

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Back on Eclipse-I)

The frontline where the major bulk of the fighting was taking place served as the scene for a very explosive and fiery exchange between the trained, battle-hardened forces of Cooler's military and Lord Slug's new _Dark Empire_. As expected of an extra-terrestrial conflict, the air was filled with energy bolts and tracers tearing across the battlefield between the two warring factions, the rounds of highly charged ki and plasma taking down soldiers left and right. From a distance, while the battle looked like it'd become an even match between both organizations, as things on the field developed, it soon became very clear who had the upper hand.

As more and more of Lord Slug's forces started to crumble from the assault being mounted by the combined efforts of Cooler's ground troops and airborne units, the troopers spearheading the assault for the prince's empire pressed forward. Managing to reach the cliffs where Lord Slug's bunkers were positioned, the aliens on Cooler's side were now having to contend with a dug-in enemy that was doggedly fending them off from multiple elevated positions.

Mounted turrets wedged inside of steel, energy shielded boxes buried into the cliff faces began raining fire down on the enemy when they came within range, causing more and more explosions to tear through the ranks of imperial troops. The incoming barrages forced Cooler's men to duck and cover- the attacking soldiers using that moment to catch their breaths, reorganize themselves, and direct their cover fire accordingly.

Kida, Rei and Riko, undeterred by the blaster fire coming down on them, continued to dart around the battlefield at untraceable speeds- taking down swaths of Lord Slug's men taking cover, while at the same time dealing with the rocket tanks that were continuing to pour out of the ground, along with more reinforcements. It was like both factions were fighting against an enemy with seemingly endless resources, as not only were Cooler's troops getting more backup in the form of troops landing in the assembly area, but the ice planet that they were fighting one was continuing to send out more bodies to fight for the enemy.

It'd gotten to the point where the battlefield was just covered with corpses. While it was comforting to see that most of the corpses belonged to Lord Slug's faction, the losses were still extraordinary.

While the bunkers wedged into the cliffs rained hell down on the approaching Cooler Forces, the three kitsune-seijin- Kida, Rei and Riko- decided to take do something about them. After the group of three youngsters climbed the steep hill and took out several of the elevated positions Lord Slug's men were fighting from, the three fox girls then dashed up the sides of the cliffs. Running on all fours and their forms surrounded by blue fire, the trio of animal girls entered the holes of the steel mountain bunkers through the gun emplacements, and began tearing up the enemy inside. Soon, the fire from three of the high level bunkers ceased and screams of terror from Lord Slug's men echoed out from inside, as the soldiers occupying those defensive positions and tunnels were beaten by or incinerated by the three girls.

Soon, the blaster fire coming down from all the bunkers stopped, as one after the other the defended positions either exploded or were silenced by the three girls running around inside the tunnels of the cliffs, and took out Lord Slug's soldiers.

The Cooler Forces watching from below saw the turrets firing from cliffs stop, which then prompted the officers to bark their next orders.

"Forward! Forward!" the sergeants and lieutenants leading the platoons shouted, a collective battle cry echoing out from the forces as they promptly stood up from their defensive positions on the icy fields and began charging up the hill.

To them, participating in this operation was the most glorious thing they'd been able to do as a fighting force.

As Cooler's army started to progress faster across the frozen wasteland of the mobile planetoid, a few miles away at the citadel, where Lord Slug's base of operations stood silent and seemingly dead, a group of new arrivals were about to make their presence known.

At the back of the cold, black, enormous dome that served as the command center for all of the enemy's forces, five familiar figures suddenly dropped down from the sky from their landing zone. When they touched down on the open clearing just a few dozen yards from the dropdown stairway that was open at the rear of the citadel, the formation of five men in black and white RIT armor and black spandex revealed themselves to be none other than the Ginyu Force- Frieza's elite commando unit.

Having landed well outside of the combat zone between Cooler's Forces and Lord Slug's army, the five alien warriors quickly made a B-line straight to where they suspected the enemy's base was- and where young Kuriza's energy signature was originating. It was an easy feat for them and when they finally managed to track it down, the ground quickly landed outside the castle and stood shoulder to shoulder, where they were able to get a good look at the stronghold they were up against.

The sounds of explosions and rumblings in the distance though quickly distracted Jeice from his personal assessment of the command center, who couldn't help but give a quick glance in the general direction of the chaos. "Woo, man. Do you guys hear that? It sounds like Lord Cooler's boys are giving those fellas over there a really hard time."

Recoome chuckled at the second-in-command's comment. "You can say that again." His response was further punctuated by a big explosion taking place in the distance that sent a plume of fire gushing into the sky. "Those enemy soldiers are getting their butts kicked."

"Sure. But I bet fifty credits that their battle will go a heck of a lot faster if we were over there helping them out," the tall, blue form of Burter remarked immediately afterwards- hands on his hips and a big smirk on his face. "I'm actually kind of disappointed we're not getting involved. Taking down armies of drones and cannon fodder is always a blast."

Ginyu- his stern eyes narrowing on the black dome in front of them- then glanced back at his companions seriously. "Unfortunately, we're not here to assist our rivals in their campaign. As I explained to you four earlier, we have a much more important matter to attend to. The destruction of the Dark Empire's leadership and the recovery of prince Kuriza takes top priority- and any enemy units we happen to run into must be dealt with extreme prejudice."

A dark chuckle left Guldo's little lips as he proceeded to crack his knuckles. "Oh, I'm sure looking forward to that."

"Easy there, champ," Burter chirped when he noticed the smallest of his compatriots psyching himself up for the big leap. "Let's not get too ahead of ourselves. First, we have to figure out exactly what kind of enemy we're up against and how many units there are. We can't just run in there like always, guns blazing."

"Agreed," Recoome responded with a nod. "Wait for the captain's orders."

As the group of five continued to size up the building that was there objective, their scouters all suddenly beeped multiple caution warning signals at them. When a bunch of tracking circles and arrows jumped up onto their lenses, the team quickly looked up towards the large structure simultaneously, where they spotted a group of five shadows dart out from the back entrance and down the steps. Upon scattering themselves around the base of the stairwell, the squad of commandoes found themselves confronted by a group of very menacing and odd-looking alien individuals.

Unlike the legions of identical soldiers adorned in white armor, helmets, and black spandex they noticed were fighting against Cooler's forces, these five 'officers' were each dressed differently from one another, and possessed builds, heights, and attributes that further highlighted their distinctiveness from the rest of the minions. Their arrival on the scene was also sharp and on point, as not only did the leader of the troop slam down hard on the icy ground front and center of their formation, the two winged individuals of the team also flapped down from a high angle and landed on both sides of their commander. Their appearance was concluded by a little, toad-like alien hopping on top of the bulky, scaled warrior's shoulder and dropping off of it to land in front of him, and an elegantly dressed alien with blond hair and cape tapping down on a boulder on the opposite side, elevating him above the others.

As soon as the aliens emerged from the command center, all of them- apart from the female dragon girl- smirked across at the members of the _Ginyu Force_, as if they'd been expecting them to arrive_._ The Frieza commandoes were of course unimpressed at the demon group's well-choreographed entrance and continued to grin back at the generals of Lord Slug's armies, as if they were like all the other useless grunts they'd encountered in the past.

Little did they know however that despite their fearsome reputations and incredible battle powers, the group had absolutely no idea the kind of danger that they were in. It was a fact that became even clearer when the members of the Ginyu unit began to speak.

"Hmm…" Recoome murmured with a rather excited smile, "Looks like the bad guys sent out a welcoming committee to greet us. How fun."

"And look. They even brought the lizard girl that attacked Lord Frieza's ship and kidnapped his son," Burter chirped, sounding quite thrilled at finally being able to meet the one responsible for enraging their boss and starting all of this chaos. When the blue-scaled warrior eyes the brown dragon female standing amongst the four demons in front of them, the self-proclaimed fastest man in the universe snickered. "Heh. She doesn't look that tough to me."

"They say she managed to knock Lord Frieza off his feet after catching him by surprise," Guldo informed before smirking broadly. "Honestly, I think that's a load of crap. She must've just gotten really lucky."

"Well, we're not going to find anything out just by standing here," Jeice said, before then looking across at their fearless leader. "What's our play here, captain?"

Ginyu, putting on his boldest and most egotistical grin he could muster, grunted while pumping his chest out. "I think that should be pretty obvious. Boys… let's do this!"

Right on cue, the neatly assembled members of the Ginyu squadron immediately widened their stances- positioning themselves shoulder to shoulder while also making sure their feet were appropriately space. The instant they locked themselves in those positions, the group wasted no time in busting out their signature battle poses. With the sound of epic music playing in the backs of their heads, each member of the elite attack force began striking a fearsome fighting pose one after the other- starting with the muscular, humanoid with orange hair and white and brown RIT armor on the far right of their formation.

Exhaling sharply, the man dropped into a lunging position and swung both his arms to his left, pointing them in the same direction. "RECOOME!"

Following suit while giving a very serpent-like snarl, the tall, blue skinned fighter with the yellow cranium piece and black battle armor also dropped into a lunge and swung both arms to his right in an identical pose to his partner. "BURTEEEER!"

Grinning broadly, Jeice inhaled deeply before getting right into his own pose, swinging his mane of white hair about in a flashy manner and dropping to his knee. From here he then swung both arms straight up into a 'V' form and pointed his hands downwards like wings. "JEEIIIICE!"

Performing a series of very martial art like movements with his hands, the overly enthusiastic green member of the group fixed all four of his eyes upon their enemy, before dropping into a pose identical to the one Jeice had assumed. Reversing it so that it evened out their formation, the shortest member of the squad grinned. "GULDOOOO!"

The fifth and final member of the squad- the main man himself- then finished up with his back turned to the enemy, showing no hesitation in bending over, framing his face between his legs and fanning his hands out in what he thought was a cool pose… but really it was not. "GINYUUUUUU!"

Without missing a beat, the five members of the group then spun in and stepped close to one another, where each of them concluded their battle dance with a final series of paces. Grunting as their arms and legs swung gracefully in multiple directions, the troop ended their performance by each striking a pose unique and favored by each of them- Recoome taking on what was virtually an archery pose, Burter swinging his arms out and standing on one leg like an eagle, Guldo crossing his arms over his chest defensively, Jeice bending sideways and fist pumping at an awkward angle, and Ginyu dropping low and fanning both arms out like he'd just finished a hero's landing.

The moment they struck these forms, the commandoes finished off in unison.

"_**TOGETHER WE ARE…"**_ they all chanted together. _**"THE GINYU FOOOORCE!"**_

Cue the sound of an epic drum bang in the background, which ended with the five warriors fixing themselves in those poses and basking in the fantastical sounds of a massive crowd applauding their dauntless valor. Had this taken place up on a stage or in a stadium, they would've most likely gotten an incredibly heartfelt reception.

However, the only people who were there to witness their dance sequence were the five demon generals standing in front of them- all of whom could only stare at the squad with incredibly deadpanned and flat expressions on their faces. The beads of sweat that appeared on their brows further accentuated the awkwardness that they felt in that moment, as for a moment they thought they'd just witnessed the arrival of a group of flamboyant circus performers.

Sadly, this was not the case, as these five were in fact the most powerful members of Frieza's extended military.

While the Ginyu Force remained frozen in their poses- as if waiting for a terrified reaction from their would-be adversaries- Medamatcha, Wings, Angila, Lucoa, and Commander Zeeun, all shared looks with one another. It wasn't until after a few shrugs and grunts that the five generals decided to break the silence, with Angila being the first to make a comment.

"What the hell, is this some kind of joke?" the blond warrior remarked as his cape fluttered behind him on the cold wind of their mobile planet.

"Are these seriously the most powerful and elite soldiers in Lord Frieza's army?" Wings chimed in afterwards, setting his fists on his hips as a rather foul grin of amusement appeared on his face. "Because if they are, I just don't see it."

Commander Zeeun nodded in agreement, a hand propped up as he tilted his head at the leader. "They act more like a cheerleading squad than a fighting unit. At least a cheerleading squad has some sense of dignity."

"Maybe they're trying to say something to us with those poses," Medamatcha squeaked, at the same time pointing towards the still posing soldiers lamely. "You know, like Morse code or sign language or something."

"Oh, I highly doubt that," Angila remarked, before then glancing over at the leader of their own entourage. "Their battle powers are just pathetic. Should I vaporize them, Zeeun?"

The horned commander with red hair sighed and cocked his head, "Sure. But make it quick."

Just as Angila was in the process of raising his hand at the still posing Ginyu Force, all five of whom balked when they saw the man's hand move into an obvious attack position, a snarl from the center of their formation stopped the demon generals in their tracks. When Zeeun, Medamatcha and the others looked to their left, they noticed their companion- Lucoa- was standing there with her spines raised, her wings fanned out, and her teeth bared.

Noticing her eyes locked on the horizon ahead of them, Zeeun blinked, "What is it, Lucoa?"

He received no response. Instead, he and the Ginyu Force saw the girl stomp forward and her clenched fists tighten even more, which resulted in her body beginning to shake in a clearly enraged manner. A few moments of incomprehensible hissing later, the dragon girl uttered a few words that her companions did understand.

"Strong… power level… approaching…"

At first the demon clan had no idea what she was talking about. But seconds after their tyrant's beloved secret weapon and attack dog made that statement, a group of five more individuals suddenly dropped down from high altitude. Their appearance alerting the members of Ginyu's team, both sides suddenly saw a collection of five more armored figures drop to the ground just a few feet across from Frieza's squad- sending up a cloud of frost around them as a result.

When the dust settled- Salza, Dore, Neiz, Myra and Gohan all stepped out of the veil together. The moment they appeared, frowns and glares were immediately fired at them from both the demon clan and the Ginyu Force- the latter of whom quickly fell out of their fighting poses to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with one another.

Blond hair whipping atop his crown, a frustrated Salza jabbed a finger across at Frieza's team and spoke. "Stand down, Ginyu! This is our fight! Not yours!"

Seeing their rivals emerge from the dust, the famed captain of the commandoes scoffed at hearing what was essentially his archrival's demand. "Well, well, well- look who finally decided to show up? Captain Salza and his crew of infamous copycats. Fashionably late as usual."

Dore blinked when he heard that last part, "Copycats?"

"That's right," Jeice spoke up next, throwing the group a big, cocky grin when he saw them all glaring in their direction, while he and his team smirked back at the Cooler Force's elite. "_We're_ the ones that started the battle dance routines and specializations for each fighter."

"Not to mention attack formations," Burter concluded with his own smug smile.

Myra cocked an eyebrow while the rest of her friends gave the Ginyu Force a strange look. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, there's no need to play dumb with us," Guldo squawked while waving a hand you.

"Admit it! You and your lot just went ahead and copied our numbers and started using them like they were your own," Jeice finished, puffing his chest out in an attempt to act like a big shot. "Our dance moves are one of a kind- not some cheap knockoff like the dancing queen moves you guys pull. Our movements are the heart and soul of the King Cold's elite task force."

Recoome nodded in agreement, before speaking up in his usual, booming voice, "You amateurs are better off leaving the heroic lines and speeches to us- the real professionals."

"Heh. And unlike you guys, the five of us look good when we do the dances," Guldo added with a snicker, which in turn also earned a laugh from his friends.

While Dore, Neiz, Myra and Salza simply shot glares back at the five smug-looking Ginyu idiots, Gohan had his stare locked firmly on the demon clan- who he could see was watching the back-and-forth exchange between the two squads with confusion. But though it seemed like the demi-Saiyan had his attention squarely fixed on all of the menacing looking oni, all of the boy's attention was actually being directed towards the dragon girl- who he sensed and spotted right away as soon as the group leapt out of _The Comet_ after it made a pass over the citadel's ridge.

The boy too could see that the reptilian alien had her red eyes drilling holes into him, as was clear from the way her expression was twisted so intensely.

Salza, sighing in annoyance, then directed his gaze to the demon clan generals assembled in front of them. "As much as I would like to, the five of us aren't here to argue over pointless garbage like that. If you're still sore about us taking your routines, then bitch about it in your own time. But right now, we have a more urgent matter to deal with."

Jeice scoffed and held a hand forward. "What? You mean these losers?" the red-skinned Brench-seijin asked, while gesturing towards the steps of the cathedral where the five horned warriors were assembled. "As if you would consider this pack of thugs any kind of urgent matter? I mean, look at them!"

The blond Cooler Force leader frowned. "We are," Salza muttered.

Beads of sweat slowly started to appear on the captain's, Myra, Dore and Neiz's faces, as all four of them had their senses wide open and were currently getting a faceful of the power levels emitting from the five demon commanders in front of them. It was almost like they were facing off against a group of twisted, diseased, hyper-energized mirror images of themselves, as the enemy's energy signatures were directly on par with their own.

Neiz, nudging Dore in the side, then whispered to him. "Hey. Do you feel that?"

"Yeah man. Every one of those guys is bad news," the green-skinned wrestler responded, unable to stop his hand from clenching and unclenching nervously. If he could make an accurate guess as to what he was feeling, it was like they were staring down five clones of their boss- Lord Cooler- all assumed in a fraction of his final form. "Damn. Is this what the runt feels every damn time he's facing someone with a massive power level? Because this is ridiculous."

"Well… be grateful he was able to teach us this technique in the first place," Neiz whispered back, because he was pretty sure their scanners wouldn't be able to pick up the killing intent that was coming with their suppressed ki signatures.

Understandably, as the members of the Cooler Force were busy worrying over the foul auras emanating from the troop, the Ginyu Force remained completely oblivious to everything going on around them. Not only were they unaware of the bottomless power wells gathered in front of them, but also that every one of them was outclassed and in tremendous danger. Nevertheless, the five smug members of Frieza's squad continued waffling on as if this was just another, ordinary assignment for them.

"Those fools look like they just rolled out the back of a travelling freak show," Jeice said while nodding towards the demons on the steps. "To us, these guys aren't worth piss."

"We've taken on tougher looking clowns than these backwater dregs," Burter informed, crossing his arms and chuckling when he saw the look Wings and Angila were giving them. "No need to get your panties in a twist, Salza. Even without you five here, our battle powers far outclass them."

Myra frowned across at them. "You're joking? Right?"

"Didn't Lord Frieza brief you on what happened to him and his fleet?" Dore asked, while at the same time nodding towards Zeeun and his cohort. "It only took _one_ of those five punks to slaughter every single soldier onboard his ship, kidnap his son, and feed your boss the fattest of Ls anyone has ever seen him take."

"We heard," Captain Ginyu replied, before a smirk tugged at his lip. "But based on what we can assess, that information is old and completely exaggerated. Our emperor wouldn't have sent us on such a daring assignment to the outer edges of Prince Cooler's space if he knew we wouldn't be able to handle it."

Salza felt like slapping the man as he glared back at his competitor. "Oh, he absolutely knows you won't be able to handle it," the blond said, before holding his hands up. "Ginyu! Your emperor got his ass handed to him and had his son kidnapped from right under his nose! For all you know, he's blinded with rage and clearly not thinking straight!"

"Please, Salza. Calm yourself. Flying through the wild depths of space has clearly gotten to your head. You're simply trying to create problems where there aren't any," Ginyu replied while holding a hand towards him in an arrogant manner. When he heard the man go silent, the commanding officer of the commandoes than reached up and tapped the side of his scouter. "Look, if you're that concerned about these guys power levels, then allow me to put your fears to rest."

There was a loud beep followed by a scanning noise as the horned warrior engaged his scouter and began to analyze the demon clan members in front of them. Both the Ginyu Force and the Armored Squadron than proceeded to watch and listen for the man to give his report. However, approximately a few seconds after staring at his green lens and watching the numbers of the group's leader- Zeeun- skyrocket at highspeed, Captain Ginyu's jaw suddenly dropped before, following several warning beeps, the side of his device sparked before exploding.

When Jeice and the rest of the squad noticed their commander's scanner cascade to the ground in pieces, all their heads quickly turned to him in alarm.

"Uh… captain? What just happened?" Jeice asked in both concern and confusion. He and the others then stopped short when they saw that Ginyu's jaw had dropped and beads of sweat were running down his face. "C-Captain? Sir?"

"N-No way…" the purple warrior stuttered, unable to hide the look of disbelief that'd sprung up onto him the second he saw the numbers that'd flashed past his screen before his scouter overheated and detonated on him. Clenching his chattering teeth and balling his fist, Captain Ginyu snarled. "There's…. just no way…"

Salza sighed before reaching behind him with his gloved hand. "Your group's scouters are outdated. Here!" the man officer said, before drawing another unit from his back pocket of his armor and tossing it over to the captain, who caught it clumsily. The moment Ginyu had the new earpiece in hand, he and his squad looked up to see the Brench-seijin reach up and press the main switch on his device, which caused a green hologram to jump up over his left eye to begin scanning the individuals in front of them. "Your units will fry if you try to analyze their power levels. If you guys want to get an accurate number, then use _that_ to check."

Hastily fitting the new unit to the side of his head and managing to get it after a few tries, the commander of Frieza's force hit the main button and watched as a blue hologram jumped up over his red eye. Jeice, Burter, Recoome and Guldo then watched as the new, hi-tech device began throwing up numbers on the small screen of all five demons waiting patiently for the two groups to finish their debating. After the unit finished its calculations, Ginyu was left standing there with his forehead dripping sweat and his jaw slack.

"Holy cow… this is unreal," the purple warrior stammered.

"Told you," Salza replied, his eyes remaining locked on the horde of demons as they leered back at them.

"That scouter isn't lying, by the way," Myra's cold, razor-edged voice chimed in from the side, drawing the other squad's attention over to the Hera-seijin to see her standing there with her pink hologram screen also throwing up numbers for her. "Kikono-san designed them himself. The battle powers on each of those five pricks standing in front of you is over twenty million. Maybe even higher."

This information had Jeice and the rest of the Ginyu boys to freeze in horror- the temperature in their bodies practically dropping to the exact same level as the planet they were standing on.

"T-T-T-Twenty million?" Recoome stuttered in disbelief.

"Bullshit!" Jeice spat in denial, his once confident expression twisting into one of anger. "There's no way their power levels can be that high! You guys must be pulling our legs!"

Neiz, deciding to be the calmer voice of reason at this juncture, deactivated the blue hologram over his eye and snapped his eyes towards the alarmed Ginyu Force. "Your captain can see them for himself. Those numbers are real."

After looking at each other, Jeice, Burter and his friends then looked towards their captain. When they saw their great and noble leader wasn't saying a thing and was still gaping across at their enemy, they then turned towards the demons standing at the base of the citadel. Now, after having a look around at their devilish and smirking faces, the members of the force felt a cold and unpleasant chill run through their bodies.

Any and all bravado that they previously had coming into this scenario had been spectacularly smashed to pieces- in a similar manner to Ginyu's scanner.

"Well, we're right fucked, aren't we?" Jeice said in a hilariously small voice.

Recoome gulped as sweat ran down his cheeks and nose, "P-Probably."

"My power level is only fifty thousand," Burter squeaked in his nasally voice, at the same time trying to come to terms with the fact that they were now stuck in a situation that was way too deep for them.

At that moment, Guldo's head suddenly perked up as he quickly snapped his attention over to the Armored Squadron. "Wait a second… why the heck aren't you guys freaking out?" the man asked, at the same time seeing the older members of the Cooler team glance towards them. "Aren't your power levels the same as ours?"

Hearing this question, the members of the Armored Squadron shared a couple glances with each other, before then looking ahead of them awkwardly. Myra then gave the little green man with four eyes a wry smile. "Uhh… okay, about that-" Before she could answer the short warrior's question, the pink lens of her scouter suddenly jumped up in front of her face and flashed a warning light that had her double-back.

This phenomenon was immediately accompanied by multiple caution signals blaring out from all the Ginyu and Armored Squadron units, which caused both teams to sharply glance towards the demon's group when they saw the arrows point in their direction. While Burter and the others quickly engaged the safety switches on their earpieces to stop them from overheating, both teams then balked in unison when they noticed hot steam rising off one of the enemy commanders.

Also being alerted to a very uncomfortable energy surge taking place between them, Zeeun, Wings, Angila and Medamatcha snapped their eyes towards their female compatriot- Quetzalcoatl. When their gazes fell upon the dragon girl, all of them- including the two teams across the field- blinked in surprise when they noticed the girl's body emitting a very noticeable heat aura. The air vibrating around her as a result of her expulsion of energy, the group watched with mixture of awe and nervousness as the ground beneath her began to sizzle, the ice started to melt, and the water quickly transformed into steam.

Hearing a low growl leave the dragon girl's lips as her body hunched forward and spines stuck up, the bushy-haired, orange-skinned Commander Zeeun reached out to her in worry. "Lucoa. Are you okay, girl?" He then recoiled when he saw her wings flap out and her aura give a blast of heat- an action that was accompanied by another loud snarl.

The members of Cooler's squadron and the Ginyu Force all balked, as not only did they see the numbers on their scouters skyrocket, but they also noticed the look that came over the dragon girl's face. From the shadows of her fringe, her red, glowing eyes looked as though they were burning, her jaw was also clenching tightly, her nostrils were flaring, and her teeth were flashing in a very menacing way. If her rising energy level weren't a clear indication that she was pissed and raring for a fight, but her heaving chest, trembling limbs and fisted claws certainly were.

Seeing her power level jump to forty million on his scouter had Dore's jaw slacken a little out of astonishment. "Holy shit…"

"That girl's energy curves and vitals are blasting all over the place," Neiz remarked, his own eyes wide and trembling as he watched the numbers in front of his screen continue screaming as the counter went up. "Her temperature is increasing way beyond normal levels, and her heartrate, adrenaline, and hormone levels are spiking like crazy."

"Geez. It's almost like she's going into freakin' heat or something," Myra muttered, not exactly sure what to make of this crazy development as she saw the dragon girl's tail whipping about behind her.

Wild, beastly nature.

Boundless rage.

Incredible energy spikes.

Accelerated vital signs.

Enormous adrenaline bursts.

As terrifying as it all looked on the surface, especially with how the air was now starting to tremble around the girl, the Hera couldn't help but notice the similarities between this reptilian warrior and another person within her immediate cohort.

Speaking of which, Myra quickly looked across at the smallest member in their squad. "Be careful, Gohan-kun. That girl looks like she's about to-" She then stopped suddenly when she, Dore, Neiz and Salza suddenly noticed something off about their teammate.

Gohan, much like the dragon girl, was standing in a very stiff and hunched over position. His black hair tied into a ponytail was rising into the air and waving about as a very reddish glow was currently emanating from his body. When a new set of numbers popped up onto the group's scouters when they focused on their friend, they immediately noticed the boy's fists were clenched, his muscles on his small body were swelling, and a very tight, manic expression had come over his face.

His eyes- once filled with innocence and kindness- had become dilated and white, leaving only empty rings where his irises were supposed to be. As for his mouth, the kid was currently baring his teeth and gums in a very wide and twisted looking grin, which completely offset all of the goodness that dominated his youthful face and replaced it with that of an unhinged psycho. From the way veins started to appear along the ridges of his forehead and neck, it almost looked as though he was doing everything in his power to try and hold himself back from rushing forward, attacking, and murdering all of the demons assembled on those steps.

When golden steam started to lift off of his glowing red body as his hidden potential slowly kicked in, the group knew that their friend was gearing up for a fight.

Myra, appearing completely alarmed at this as she sensed the boy's hot energy blast her in the face, spoke to him. "G-Gohan-kun?" The moment she spoke his name, she saw his eyes snap to her, which then gave her a full view of the feral, animalistic look of excitement burning in his gaze.

Getting a face full of his raging excitement and hearing his rapid panting fill the air, caused Myra's stomach to clench and a rather primal wave of electricity to rush through her body from her neck to her toes. Though she had no idea what this sensation was, but the look of hunger the boy directed towards her caused her heartbeat to quicken and her insides to churn in a highly charged and sexual manner.

"Myra-nee…" Gohan rasped out, causing his friends to recoil at the very beastly growl that accompanied his words. "I… I can't hold back anymore…" His gaze then snapped towards the dragon girl when he sensed her energy and adrenaline spike, resulting in both enemies glaring one another down as their auras simmered around them. "My head is pounding… my muscles are aching… and my body feels like it's on fire! I… I want to fight her. I _**need**_ to fight her… right now!"

Hearing this caused the Armored Squadron to shiver slightly, with the Ginyu Force commandoes also taking note of the boy spewing copious amounts of excitement and bloodlust from literally every pore on his body. When the Captain of the Frieza elite noticed the way the child was acting, as well as the warning lights that blinked across his scouter, the purple warrior quickly addressed the issue.

"Uhh… is he doing okay?" Ginyu asked worriedly. "Your boy over there looks like he's about to pop a blood vessel."

Dore, grinning weakly, attempted to settle the boy down. "Come on, little bro. You're starting to scare your team a little. Just… take a deep breath and calm down."

After analyzing her young companion for a few more seconds, Myra quickly looked back at the others and gulped. "I don't think he can. His instincts are going out of control because of the massive power levels gathered in front of him." She then turned her attention to the demon clan and the female dragon standing next to them. "I think that girl on the far right is setting him off."

Though she had no idea how, it was clear that Gohan and that Ryujin girl could sense something incredibly dangerous or enticing about the enemy warrior across from them. Seeing as how the demi-Saiyan could sense powers and other elements around him a hundred times better than the rest of his squad mates- on account of his inherent Saiyan nature- it made sense why he was being so affected.

"Is… Is that normal for him?" Jeice chimed in, also sounding incredibly alarmed.

Neiz turned to look at them, "It is… but usually not to this extent."

While Myra and the others had only ever seen the kid like this when they were on planets with a full moon, multiple moons, or were confronted with a challenging opposition, this was probably the first time any of them had seen Gohan being so fired up to the point of exploding. And even still, as the two sides continued to face off, their conditions only became worse.

"Give the order, captain…" Gohan snarled in a desperate voice, addressing Salza as he stood there with his golden aura starting to seep out of his armor and spandex. "Please… give me the order to attack. Let me loose. I want to fight her. Please, sir. I want to fight her _**so**_ bad…" His panting was followed shortly by another growl as he shook his head in a very dog-like fashion, giving the impression that the boy was entering an almost rabid state of exhilaration.

Neither Neiz, Dore or Myra would've been surprised if the kid started frothing at the mouth. He was just that fired up.

After the rest of his subordinates looked across at Salza to see what he was going to do, Salza, swallowing nervously under the intense pressure now emanating from their youngest squad mate, then gave a quick glance around at his comrade. When he saw Myra's expression steel and then give a stiff nod, the blond warrior nodded back.

The Captain then turned to Gohan. "Okay, little man. But be careful. Let her make the first move. Draw her in, bait her attacks… and then lay on the abuse. Those are your orders."

A snarl of joy escaping his lips at hearing his commanding officer's permission and instructions, the fully energized Gohan inhaled sharply before dropping onto all fours to assume his familiar, wild-Saiyan fighting style. His hands slamming into the floor and fingers puncturing the surface, which caused the plate his friends were standing on to fracture in multiple directions, the young warrior then let out a very bestial growl as his body's muscles all swelled, seconds before his golden aura finally exploded from him with a deafening gunshot.

The red hue of his hidden power mixed in with his energy as it gushed out of him in a literal inferno, flooding the area with tidal waves of heat and sending shockwaves coursing across the valley. Effortlessly jumping from base straight into his Pseudo-Super Saiyan form, the crimson gold generated by his beating aura enhanced his feral expression, while his once blank eyes turned turquoise.

The thunderous roar given by his pulsing energy forced his comrades to brace themselves against the hot winds tearing from his body, while Guldo and Jeice were bowled over by the shockwave. As for the demon clan, all of them felt their eyes snap to the child in awe, as they all felt the kid's energy shoot through the roof- literally punching a hole in the clouds above him.

The dragon girl on the other hand, sensing the boy's ki signature jump, snarled even louder as her own aura slowly intensified.

"Prey… _my_ prey… so strong… and delicious…" the girl growled as she felt the raging winds from the boy roll across the ice and crash into her face. "I can smell his flesh… his sweat…" Drool leaving the corner of her lips, the scaled dragon girl felt her spines stand on end as a grin formed in her jaw- one that mirrored the same psychopathic thrill and excitement that was currently pulled across Gohan's face. "Fight… I want to fight him…"

While all this was going on, the members of her group all recoiled when they saw veins of lava begin to pulse all along her scaled body- causing her muscles to throb and smoke to start billowing off her. On top of this, the plates of intense heat that accumulated around her shoulders and neck began to crackle and sizzle, as her liquid aura started to bubble to the surface like actual magma. It was a sight that neither the demons nor the elite warriors from Cooler and Frieza's forces had ever seen before.

Angila, hearing the girl's strained growls as she growled at the glowing child standing beside the members of the Armored Squadron, glanced across at Zeeun. "What should we do?"

While the commander was lost in thought, he, his squad, and the enemy commandoes scattered across the plate of ice behind the citadel suddenly heard a loud voice boom from the ship's speakers. _**"Our girl is keen for a brawl," **_the deep, gravelly tone of Lord Slug reverberated across the countryside, causing the members of the demon clan, Ginyu Force, and Cooler's men- apart from Lucoa and Gohan- to glance back at the black building. _**"It would be cruel to deny her the chance to act out on her primal urges. Give the order, Commander Zeeun. Let our good little slave unleash her fury. I want to see what that little runt over there can do."**_

Upon hearing their leader's command, the members of the demon clan quickly looked back towards the enemy squads. Ignoring the winds smashing into them, the tall, spartan-dressed Zeeun clenched his teeth and grinned. "As you wish, sire," the red-haired demon spoke, swinging his right arm up and thrusting it forward. "Show that young fool no mercy, Lucoa! TEAR HIM TO SHREDS! ATTAAAAAAAAAAACK!"

Eyes widening and flashing an even brighter shade of red, the scaled female fanned her wings and swung her head back in a primal scream. "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Her scream of rage was matched by the deafening clap of a shockwave as literal, orange flames exploded from every pore on her body, filling the air around her with a raging inferno. Body growing as her muscles swelled, the enraged Lucoa then leaned over and bolted forward- a sonic boom ringing out as she launched herself at several times the speed of sound towards the Ginyu Force and the Armored Squadron.

Screaming across the icy field as she cocked her right fist back for a punch, the blazing dragon charged right at the squads without a thought or care. Though every single one of the Ginyu and Armored Squadron members dropped into defensive stances in preparation for an assault, the winged girl blew right past them and slammed a fist straight into the crouching Gohan, who received her blow by crossing his arms over his face and blocking it. The gunshot that rang out on impact rattled the landscape as Lucoa blasted the boy off his feet and pushed him across the valley. Yet despite managing to pick him up with her punch, the boy simply gave her a wide grin of mad delight through his guard.

Multiple sonic booms rang out as the pair blasted across the countryside, with Lucoa continuing to shove Gohan as he held back her punch. After about two miles of flight, the crimson shaded hybrid gave a shout and threw the dragon's fist off him, before beginning to slip left and right as the reptile began lashing out at him with her claws. Dodging her razor-sharp talons as they swung past his head, threatening to slice him to ribbons, the pair began a highspeed game of cat and mouse. While Gohan flew backwards, the girl pursued- zigzagging across the valleys and leaving a cloud of frost hanging in the air.

After managing to avoid all her blows with ease, a smirking Gohan watched Lucoa draw back her left fist and- with a manic grin appearing on her short snout- thrust at him with a sharp jab. The demi-Saiyan ducked it before slamming both feet into her torso, driving his heels into her abs and sending the dragonoid blasting backwards at breakneck speeds. The clap of a shockwave followed a split second later, with Lucoa's body covering a distance over a hundred yards before coming to a sudden stop in the snow.

Managing to halt herself by slamming all four of her limbs into the ice, the dragon girl fanned her wings before bolting forward again, which caused another shockwave to fracture the ground beneath her. Appearing in front of her retreating opponent in an instant, she continued lashing out at him once again.

Expertly parrying her blows with the grace and finesse of a trained warrior, Gohan's grin returned full force as he let out a laugh of joy. "HAHAHA! THIS IS AWESOME! Your fighting style is exactly like mine!" the child exclaimed, blocking a few more of the girl's attacks before slipping around a punch and loading up his right fist. "NOW IT'S MY TURN! HYAAAAH!" His yell was followed by a sharp bang when his fist slammed into the girl's nose and caused her to stagger slightly.

Her back-foot burying into the ice to keep from falling, the stunned yet still energized Lucoa eagerly returned fire and lashed out with several more claw strikes. Gohan dodged- head-slipping her slashes before leaping up and driving a kick across the girl's face. His blow slammed into her cheek and sent her stumbling through the snow. When the child landed and darted forward to continue his assault, he saw the stunned dragon, smirk, spin around, and swing her tail at him.

Hitting him square in the side, the dragonoid launched the attacking Gohan across the valley at great speed- his body breaking the sound barrier as he smashed through a glacier over a mile away. Without missing a beat, Lucoa kicked off the cold ground and gave pursuit, fracturing the floor with her takeoff as she barreled towards the airborne Saiyan. When she caught up to him a split second later, the dragon slashed out with her claws, only to have her blows knocked aside by the airborne youngster when he managed to recover.

From there, the duo began another highspeed chase across the icy tundra- zipping left and right and exchanging flurries of blows. The impact of each of their attacks against the other's guard caused multiple shockwaves to ring out, the results of which punched several craters across the valley. Upon leaving a trail of a dozen fissures in their wake in the span of only a couple of seconds, Lucoa dove at her opponent with the intent of impaling him with her nails. When she struck, she saw Gohan slip it, before then delivering a sharp kick to her snout in a counter.

The blow rattled Lucoa and stopped her attack dead, before she was then hit across the face by a punch.

Blood flying from her lips, the dragon clenched her teeth and took another big swing at the boy while they were still in motion, only to suddenly see Gohan's body vanish when he darted around her and took off into the sky above. Almost immediately after being blitzed by the Pseudo-Super Saiyan- an excited Lucoa spun around, powered up, and shot after him at even greater speed.

As Gohan rocketed into the sky to gain some altitude, the child blinked when he saw Lucoa dart into his path and stop directly in front of him- her wings fanned out in a show of aggression.

"_She's fast!"_ Gohan thought, before catching the girl's punch against his forearm when she attempted to lay into him. _"Her strength and speed are increasing with every blow! This is great!"_ Grinning broadly, the child gave a yell as he knocked her arm away. After blocking the kick she followed up with, he promptly returned fire, leading to a fierce exchange that had both warriors rapidly climbing in altitude.

Seconds later, the two wild fighters were zipping across the sky and trading attacks at speeds that no ordinary alien would be able to follow. As loud thunderclaps and shockwaves shook the atmosphere and punched holes across the clouds, the real battle between Gohan and Lucoa began with earnest.

While all this was going on, down on the ground by the citadel, the members of the _Ginyu Force_, _Cooler's Armored Squadron_, and _Lord Slug's Demon Clan_, were all watching the fight with mixtures of awe, intrigue, and disbelief.

The entirety of the Ginyu crew were experiencing the latter, for despite their collection of strength and experience, all five of them were struggling to keep up with the pair of youngsters blazing across the atmosphere.

"Damn, Captain. Are you seeing this?" Jeice remarked in alarm as he stood there, slack-jawed like the rest of his compatriots, as they watched the clouds disperse under the shockwaves given off by the pair. "Bugger me."

"Yes. I can see, Jeice," Ginyu replied, gritting his teeth as sweat trickled down the side of his head. "Incredible."

"How… How are they moving so damn fast?" Burter exclaimed, his head shifting left and right as he attempted to keep up with the performance. Try as he might, he was unable to follow the pair. "I… I can't even follow them."

"Just what kind of monsters are they?" Guldo stuttered, also unable to believe what he was witnessing. This fight was far beyond what all five of them were capable of- which made some of them question why they were even there to begin with.

They were way out of their depth.

Over on their end, while Myra and Salza were observing the battle with calm and poise, Dore and Neiz were left in stunned fascination at the ferocious display being put on by their youngest member. Though they'd been in plenty of battles and had witnessed firsthand what Gohan was capable of, this was the first time they could remember seeing him going toe to toe with an opponent that was not only top tier, but was also equal to him in strength and ferocity.

It was like watching two predators lashing out at one another in a fight over some meat- only the prize here was victory for their respective militaries.

Dore whistled as he watched another distant cloud get punctured by the body that darted through it. "Wow. I wonder what's gotten the runt so fired up. He never fights like that when we spar together. Did he, like, down an entire six pack of energy drinks or something?"

"It certainly seems that way," Neiz responded, keeping a hand on his hip as his big, yellow eyes traced the skies intently. "Either that or he was really, _really_ looking forward to fighting that girl after seeing her in the video . Considering how he was acting before I wouldn't be surprised." This was completely discounting the fact that at the time of their arrival on this plateau, the boy's hormone levels had skyrocketed. How this had any bearing on his current fighting capabilities were beyond the amphibian.

The Beppa-seijin then shot a look at his taller comrade. "Do you think the kid will be able to beat her?"

"Well… unless that dragon girl is still hiding her real strength, he should," Neiz answered with a shrug.

Suddenly, as the group was distracted with the battle going on above their heads, Dore's hologram scouter jumped up over his eye and beeped a warning alarm. Eyes snapping around, the group suddenly saw the large, rotund warrior from Lord Slug's entourage- Wings- charging towards them at a rather surprising rate. A split second after all the members of the squadron spotted him, Salza, Myra and Neiz watched the winged demon tackle Dore in the chest and begin pushing him across the valley- the shockwave given off on impact cracking the ground beneath them.

Having the wind practically knocked out of his lungs, the Beppa-seijin remained doubled over the demon commander's round body as he continued to force the green skinned warrior across the battlefield. Managing to snap out of it after his back slammed into an ice boulder and shattered it, Dore glared down at the villain's back when he heard the thick, armored warrior chuckle against his torso.

"Lucoa-chan thinks she can hog all the fun, huh?! Well, I'm calling dibs on you, green guy!" Wings exclaimed as he continued to push the Armored Squadron member across the battlefield and into another glacier. After the massive tor exploded and cascaded to the ground in a shower of ice blocks as the pair barreled straight through it, the demon warrior glared up at the wrestler and gave him a murderous grin. "Come on! Let's see what you've got! RAAAGH!"

With a wide swing of his arms, the demon stopped and shoved Dore off him, sending the Beppa-seijin flying back under a blast of a shockwave. However, when it seemed like the fearsome blow had managed to wound the bulky member of the hero team, the Beppa-seijin cracked a smile and laughed as he recovered midflight.

"HA! So, you're challenging me to a one-on-one?! Alright then, you tub of lard! LET'S ROCK!" Dore laughed, slamming his feet into the floor, fracturing the ice, and launching himself at full speed towards the hulking warrior. "HRAAAAAAAAGH!"

Grinning eagerly, Wings opened the bat-like flaps on his back and shot straight up into the sky, avoiding Dore's kick and forcing the green warrior to give pursuit. Despite the pair's great size and girth, the two of them quickly demonstrated that they were more than just two slabs of walking muscle, as they began chasing each other at high speed through the air, with Wings throwing his hand forward and unleashing a barrage of red blasts towards his pursuer, who batted them away with big, solid swings of his fists, before returning fire with his own yellow blasts.

After a quick shootout across the sky, Wings then dashed forward and body slammed Dore again, only to have his attack blocked when the man managed to cross his arms over and receive his attack flush in the forearms. Upon which the Beppa retaliated by rushing forward and tackling the rotund demon and sending both falling out of the sky to slam into the valley floor.

The shockwave generated by the pair's impact with the ground reached all the way to the citadel, not only cracking the ground beneath the observing warriors' feet, but also causing ice to break off the dome-shaped building behind them.

While the Ginyu Force gaped at the cloud of ice and snow that formed into a mushroom shape in the sky kilometers away from them, Myra, Neiz and Salza spun around to face the remaining generals of Lord Slug's army. It was a good thing that they did, because the trio were able to observe Angila, Medamatcha and their Commander Zeeun all step forward and prep themselves for a fight.

Cracking his knuckles and his neck, the gladiator-dressed Zeeun chuckled in a deep voice as his eyes landed on the orange-haired female on the left of the enemy group's formation. "Well, since Wings has decided to take matters into his own hands, I think it's only fair that we do the same."

"Agreed," Angila responded, a menacing smirk forming as he eyed the strong trio in front of him. After a quick assessment, he then reached up and unclasped his cape, allowing the billowing length of cloth to blow away with the wind. "You take the tall one, Medamatcha. Pretty boy over there is mine."

A high-pitched snicker left the toad-like demon's wide lips as he then leaned forward on all fours eagerly. "Hehe. Oh, I'm going to enjoy this."

Zeeun, hearing the other two pick their targets, then stuck his right hand out and grunted. "Well then… let's go." With a quick power up, the orange man suddenly gathered energy in his palm, which instantaneously took the form of a blue ball of twisting flames forming in front of his palm. The members of the Armored Squadron watching from a distance only had a second to appear surprised at the man's sudden use of an elemental attack, before the blue, crackling ball left his hand in a vortex.

The spinning beam of flames gushed towards Salza, Myra and Neiz, all three of whom powered up with their respective auras, before rocketing up into the sky as fast as they could. The Ginyu Force, being distracted by everything going on around them, were unable to react as they were spectacularly knocked off their feet by the fiery blast that went off next to them and sent them rolling across the ice. Stopping after being bouncing several yards across the field, the five members of Frieza's elite could only look up in shock as flames gushed out of the massive crater that'd formed where their companions had been standing.

Salza, Neiz and Myra, now airborne, instantly scattered- their glowing forms curving through the sky as they flew off in different directions away from the command center. As soon as they did, the three demon generals that'd been watching from the ground gave chase, with Angila flying after Salza, catching up to him easily, and pulling up alongside the blonde captain

The instant his grinning mug appeared alongside the Brench-seijin, the warrior dressed in robes cocked back his fist and greeted the officer of Cooler's elite with the customary attack.

"Going somewhere, shorty?!" Angila laughed, driving his fist into the warrior's head, only to watch his fist get blocked by the man's arm. "I don't think so!"

Upon knocking away the arm, Salza then responded by thrusting his hand forward and unleashing a blast right at the demon's face. "En garde, Écume!" His attack missed of course when the pale-skinned warrior ducked under it, before responding with a sharp kick to the captain's stomach and sending the surprised warrior shooting back across the sky. Despite the hit to his torso, the officer threw both hands up and unleashed a salvo of orange blasts, all which Angila elegantly evaded.

The man coiled and twirled around the beams of light- all the while laughing mockingly at the warrior's attempts to drive him off. "Come on! Come on! Is that all you've got!" the handsome demon cackled, before charging towards Salza and locking fists with him. From there, both the strongest member of the demon clan and the sword of Cooler's military began duking it out at high speed above the planet- the sounds of their fists crossing reverberating through the air like cannon fire.

As they fought, Medamatcha and Neiz flew right past them, with the taller amphibian coating his hands in purple electricity and letting off a blast of lightning towards his diminutive pursuer.

The tiny fighter however, being the deceptive little frog that he was, demonstrated his speed and agility by dodging and rolling under the opening shot the fastest member of Cooler's Armored Squadron had to dish out. After managing to avoid getting fried, the tiny imp closed the gap on the larger warrior so that he could assault him with close-range melee attacks. He came right up to the man's face and nailed him with a fist, which Neiz was able to block and grit his teeth against- due to how solid the attack was.

After the gunshot of impact rang out, Neiz opened on the tiny fighter with a flurry of blows. However, despite his great speed and agility, the Zalt-seijin blinked in surprise when he saw the tiny fighter slip and dart between his attacks. Even letting loose a barrage of jabs to try and clock the imp in the face was met with a bout of giggles and cackles, as the toad quickly made it clear to the second in command of the squad that he was not going to be easy to hit.

"What's wrong, big guy? Having trouble keeping up?" Medamatcha laughed, ducking under the man's kick and darting around behind him. When Neiz spun around to track him, the road hit him across the face with a couple of hooks. Upon seeing the man stagger, the green frog then zipped to the side to avoid the man's kick, which he then countered by slamming into the tall fighter's side with a blow of his own. "Try and hit me, if you can."

Grunting from the blow that drove into his side, Neiz then growled and attempted to deck the demon again. When he saw him vanish and dart around his airborne form, the warrior then waited for the inevitable counter, which came in the form of a punch to his blind spot. However, instead of letting the attack hit him, the Zalt-seijin responded by discharging a high-powered current of electricity from his body, which not only hit Medamatcha when he made contact, but sent the little toad blasting away with a shriek of pain.

"OUCH! What the heck?"

Neiz grinned when he saw the green demon's smoking form shudder to a stop a few feet away. "Let's see you laugh at me after I've deep fried you!" the Zalt chuckled, allowing another current of electricity to run down his body, before promptly rocketing towards the small fighter.

Myra meanwhile was caught up in her own duel. As she crisscrossed through the sky in retreat, the orange-haired adolescent was speedily and tactfully avoiding all the swings and haymakers being thrown at her by the pursuing Commander Zeeun. Having been singled out based possibly on her appearance by the leader of the demon corps, the disputed second strongest fighter of Cooler's elite grit her teeth as she blocked a kick thrown at her by the large, bulky fighter with the red mane of hair. After the shockwave from the blow rang out, the woman promptly smacked away the leg and retaliated with her own kick.

Blocking it as well when it snapped up towards his head, Zeeun laughed and countered with a flurry of punches. "Not bad! Not bad at all!" This quickly led to an exchange between both warriors as their chase transformed into a dance. "Hah! I like your stuff, _wench_! Let's see what else you can do!"

After a speedy back and forth trade-off between the demon general and his slender opponent, Myra- managing to analyze the pattern of her opponent's attacks after parrying several of his punches and kicks, went about forming a counter. Deflecting a jab thrown at her by her foe and then a straight, the Hera quickly dove in and delivered a swift double finger and palm strike to the warrior's breast stomach and pectoral. Despite the sudden and sharp blows delivered to his center mass, Zeeun ignored them and retaliated with a sharp side kick up at the woman's face. The base of his boot slammed into the girl's guard and sent her flying back.

Skidding to a stop in the air with her arms up, Myra clenched her teeth from the stinging sensation that shot up her limbs, before throwing the orange warrior a hard glare. _"Damn. This guy is tough. If the others are as strong as him, then this isn't going to be an easy fight,"_ she thought. Shaking out the dumbness in her arm, she then dashed forward to meet the commander in the middle, whereupon the pair continued to slug it out- showing the various differences in their fighting styles and abilities as they began a running battle across the planet's cold atmosphere.

From there, what was similar to a countrywide storm quickly unfolded in the air above the planet, as the grounded Ginyu Force watched in horrified fascination as their rivals in Cooler's branch of the PTO went head to head with the forces of Lord Slug's demonic army. The vapor trails left behind by the warriors as they crisscrossed the sky was accompanied by strings of shockwaves going off randomly in multiple locations. As they started mixing in more energy attacks, fireballs and explosions also began decimating the area.

One lightning bolt fired by Neiz at his opponent managed to land quite close to where Ginyu and the others were standing. The resulting explosion not only sent flames gushing into the air, but also pelted the team with bits of ice and rock. As smoke rose up from the nearby crater and more sonic booms rung out across the sky, Ginyu and his team then looked around at one another- as they now found themselves standing or sitting alone on the ice.

"Well… what do we do now?" Recoome asked, appearing both shocked and confused by everything that'd just happened. "Do we just head home or what?"

Burter, pushing his lips together, then glanced across at their horned leader. "What do you think, captain?"

Ginyu, upon considering the battle taking place, then frowned deeply and slapped his knee. Pushing himself up off the floor and dusting off the bits of ice that'd fallen on him, the man then straightened his back and took a deep breath. "What do I think? Well gentlemen, I think the answer to that question should be pretty clear!" Sensing his squad's eyes on him, the bold, purple-skinned leader of the troop mustered a grin and spun around. "We carry on… and attack!"

"Uhh…" Jeice groaned, before perking up from where he was kneeling. "I don't think I follow you, sir."

"It's simple, my friends!" the Captain exclaimed, stepping between his troops and pointing their attention towards the citadel sitting just a few dozen yards away from them. "Since our rivals from the other branch have lured away the enemy forces, we shall infiltrate the enemy stronghold and rescue our lord's son from the clutches of their boss!" When their eyes landed on the immense structure once again as explosions continued to go off behind them, Ginyu proceeded to explain his fantastic plan to his loyal followers. "I believe that was their intention from the very start! Now that they've drawn away the vanguard and opened the way for us, we can seize the opportunity and complete our mission, as instructed to us by our Lord Frieza! With our numbers, our teamwork, and our fighting spirit, I'm positive we'll be able to bring down this Lord Slug and bring an end to this conflict once and for all!"

Upon gaping at the man for several moments and sharing a few looks, the four of them then looked back at their Captain with mixed expressions of awe and amazement.

"Brilliant, sir!" Burter exclaimed.

"That's our brave captain for you!" Jeice followed up. "Always thinking ahead and focusing on the mission!"

"Exactly, Jeice! Exactly! This isn't about honor or glory! This is about our sacred oath as elite warriors!" Ginyu called out, grinning broadly as he lowered his arm and was joined in his heroic pose by his four compatriots- all of whom rallied to his sides and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him, just like before. Only this time they didn't have an audience to see their grand display of bravery (and stupidity). "The mission comes first above all else! Even when the odds are stacked against us and the chances of survival are a million to one, we- as Lord Frieza's most trusted servants- must complete the assignment, no matter the pain or cost!"

"Yes! We came here as a team! And we will leave this planet as a team!" Recoome boomed out, at the same time lifting his head up high. "We will give our all to make sure our lord's son is rescued and returned safely to the arms of his family!"

"And that is precisely the reason why we are here!" Captain Ginyu said loudly, glancing across at his fellow soldiers, before then looking down at Guldo. "So… are we ready?"

Blinking his four eyes, the short, diminutive member of Cooler's Squadron grinned, before giving a salute. "Ready, boss!"

"Very well… then let us move out!" Ginyu yelled, throwing his fist in front of him, before he and his four subordinates dashed across the eyes and bounded towards the citadel. With only a couple of hops, the squad arrived at the steps, before promptly jumping through the entrance and into the castle- not knowing exactly what they were likely to face but knowing that they would defeat it regardless of the circumstances.

Unfortunately for the plucky members of Frieza's elite, the reality of what they were about to wade into had yet to sink in completely. As brave as they were, there was absolutely no way either of them was prepared for what was waiting for them in the heart of the citadel.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Since Lucoa charged into him at the outset of their engagement, a very brawler-like slug fest had quickly erupted between Gohan and his opponent. The demi-Saiyan could hear his heart pounding in his ears as he engaged the winged female in a fierce and destructive battle- the shockwaves that they generated every time they crossed paths parting clouds and smashing craters into the floor. Even a couple of ice-covered mountains fell to the force that the pair were able to exert upon one another.

Despite the hits they took and the blows they delivered in return, neither opponent was willing to back down. The grins they sported and the laughs they gave after every shot they traded further emphasized just how much they were enjoying themselves. It almost seemed like the pair would be at this forever.

However, after Gohan managed to land the hundredth solid hit in a row, Lucoa's once straightforward approach to combat suddenly took an evolutionary step forward. When the pair dropped back down to the icy tundra below to carry on their fight across the hills, the dragon girl started dishing out attacks that the child wasn't quite prepared for.

Charging across the battlefield with his golden aura at full blaze, the Pseudo-Super Saiyan child balked in alarm when he suddenly saw his brown-scaled opponent swing her wings about and stomp forward, before swiping her left wing across and throwing several projectiles towards the aura-clad demi-Saiyan. Gohan hit the brakes in time to shield himself with his arms and ended up getting struck by the wave of spinning knives that the girl threw at him.

The force he was hit with not only dispelled his crimson-gold aura, but sent the child flying back across the field to crash into a distant boulder. When his back slammed into the rock's face and formed a human-shaped crater in its side, Gohan lowered his arms and looked down to see that his skin had been impaled by several large, brown blades. On closer inspection however, he noticed that the metal-like blades were in fact large, hardened scales that Lucoa had managed to dislodge from her skin and throw at him like kunai.

Simply put, had Gohan not raised his arms to block them in time, there was a good chance they would've been able to hit more than a handful of vital areas.

However, despite having his skin pierced, the boy couldn't help but give a wide grin of excitement as his eyes darted back up to see the dragon girl ambling towards him across the battlefield. "Nice attack! You almost got me with that!" the hybrid chirped happily, before prompting swinging his arms about and dislodging all of the blades that he'd been stuck with and knocking them to the ground. As blood trickled out of the cuts, Gohan inhaled deeply and called out. "What else can you do?!" He then blasted off the rock and shot towards the reptilian girl.

Seeing Gohan charge back at her caused Lucoa to frown and swiftly dodge to the side, avoiding the kick the boy spun at her with and blowing right past where she'd been standing.

When he slammed his feet into the ground and skidded to a stop, he spun around to see the dragonoid flying at him for a counterattack. But rather than let her hit him with it, the demi-Saiyan child instead thrust both hands forward, fanned his fingers, and grunted loudly. Focusing his ki into his thrust allowed him to fire off a _Kiai_ (Spirit Cannon) at the girl and nail her square in the chest, the shockwave hitting her with such force it not only caused her body to curl forward and knock saliva out of her mouth, but sent her flying.

The girl slammed into the icy ground a full mile away, bouncing across the ice before eventually rolling back onto all fours and sliding to a stop. Looking up with a snarl, the dragon girl then fanned her wings and charged forward- zigzagging left and right at highspeed to throw off her opponent as he stood up and took a fighting stance.

Gohan, tracking the busty dragon adolescent as she approached, then swung his arms up for a block when he saw her lunge in and take a swing at him with her wing. To his surprise, the boy found himself getting pushed back along the ground when Lucoa started pummeling his guard with repeated blows from her wings- swinging her appendages out at him one after the other and slicing into her target in rapid succession. Aside from hitting with such force that they made her punches and kicks look like a joke, her wings cut into Gohan's arms like blades, causing the boy to almost buckle under the hits and forcing him to send ki into his arms to absorb the force of the blows.

After being hit a total of six times by the girl's blade-like limbs, Gohan was then prepared to counter her next to attack when she drew back her right wing and prepared to slash him with a very telegraphed swipe. However, instead of slapping him like expected, Lucoa suddenly extended her wing and jabbed at him with the tip- the thrust hitting with enough force it not only broke the boy's guard, but also cracked his chest armor when it drove into his breastplate.

Gohan was knocked off his feet and onto his back, upon which he rolled several times before jumping back up. Shaking his head from having his bell rung in such a surprising manner, the demi-Saiyan looked up with a start when he saw Lucoa lean forward and bolt towards him for another attack.

"Shit!" Gohan shouted, dropping to all fours leaping straight up into the sky. When the girl missed with her kick, she promptly changed directions and gave chase, crying out as she pursued the boy.

Gaining enough altitude and seeing Lucoa hot on his tail, the child swung his arms overhead, locked his fingers together and- with a battle cry- dropped down on her and drove a hammer blow into her head. "HIYAAAAAAH!" The surprised dragon barely had enough time to bring her arms up to catch the attack yet ended up getting hit by some of it when the blow slammed into her with enough force to split a mountain in two.

**BAAM!**

The shockwave was immediately followed by Lucoa plummeting out of the sky and straight into the ground. When she slammed into the ice on all fours and dug into the snow, the girl fanned her wings and powered up, letting out a roar of anger as orange fire gushed out of her pores and enveloped her in flames. When her energy spiked, she then launched herself into the sky like a missile- arcing through the air and eventually getting behind Gohan.

The demi-Saiyan had barely enough time to raise his arms when the girl spun in and slammed her spiked tail into him, knocking him across the sky and towards the distant mountain ranges. Giving chase, she eventually caught up to him and swung at him with a clawed hand. However, instead of slicing into the hapless boy, her hand got caught by his and became locked. Lucoa then tried to jab at him with the other, but had that one trapped two, leading to the two youngsters becoming fixed in a grappling match.

It seemed like the pair were at an impasse, as Lucoa pushed Gohan back through the sky and attempted to take control of his momentum. However, just when it seemed like the pair would be stuck that way for a little while longer, the still fighting fit demi-Saiyan powered up and allowed his aura to erupt around him, which allowed him to strengthen his grip on the girl's claws and begin twisting them back. The sudden, sharp pain shooting up her forearms had the startled dragon girl attempt to pull away and remove herself from his hands, only to feel herself get yanked forward and have Gohan slam his forehead against hers.

"You're holding back, Lucoa-chan! I know there's still a lot more power inside you!" Gohan growled, which drew a heated snarl from Lucoa as well. "Come on! Show me your true strength! Unleash the beast! I want to see what she can _really_ do!"

Fighting back against the boy's vicelike grip, the scaled female grinned back and snarled. "Grrr…. yes! Play! More play!" she exclaimed, steam rushing out of her mouth as her strength intensified. Pulling back on the boy's hands and bringing them to the center, Lucoa panted heavily. "My blood… is boiling! My body is burning! I want to fight you more! RAAGH! I WANT TO FIGHT YOU MORE!"

Gohan's eyes burned with delight at hearing this- his grin widening in a Cheshire manner as his mouth practically salivated with his mood. "YES! LET'S DO IT! LET'S GET WILD!" The child replied swinging his head back and ramming it into the girl's nose. The hit caused her to loosen her grip and dislodge from him, allowing the boy to swing his right leg around and nail her across the head with a vicious kick.

The explosion of impact rippled across the sky as Lucoa tumbled out of the air and straight into a mountain face. Crashing straight through it and causing the edifice to implode on itself, the dragon girl landed in the icy valley below and slammed her feet into the ground- coming to a cloudy stop amidst the ice.

Gohan meanwhile, dropping out of the air, landed on the peak of another mountain as his black hair- defying gravity, waved in the air around him.

The instant Lucoa stood up in the snow, the girl clenched her fists and fanned her wings. Snarling loudly as steam gushed off her body and filled the air, the dragon took a moment to steady her breathing and concentrate her energy. Then, as the gaps in her scaled armor started to glow a hot orange, the female's glowing eyes snapped open and, with a mighty howl and a concussive shockwave, she unleashed all of the energy she had bottled up inside her in one, massive explosion.

Fire gushed out of her body and shot up into the clouds in a pillow, punching a hole through them and causing them to part for several miles around her. The force of the inferno being unleashed from her caused not only the countryside to fracture; it also created a crater around the female over thirty meters across. As she sunk into the icy fissure amidst a cloak of flames, the dragon girl's muscles bulked up slightly and her height increased, defining her curves even more as her power came gushing out in all its glory.

Then, after the pillar of flames subsided around her to form an aura of literal fire, it revealed the girl had undergone a new transformation- one that Gohan had never seen before. Aside from the veins of her scaled armor glowing like magma, the girl's spines had also transformed into spikes of fire from her crown, all the way down her back. Her shoulders were also bubbling with lava, showing that not only had she undergone a sudden and explosive power increase, but her body had also adapted to the output and given her a much more lethal defense.

Gohan could feel the heatwaves from the enraged dragon washing against his face and, upon seeing the girl's now red eyes land on him, felt a primal surge of excitement course through his body.

It was just like what he felt at the beginning, only this time it was intensified several times over.

A moan left the dragon girl's throat as she inhaled deeply through her flared nostrils, as she allowed the flames around her body to subside and continue to gush out of her back. Opening her fists and extending her razor-sharp claws, the girl snarled, "Hnnn… come… come at me… now…"

In response, the child up at the top of the mountain grinned. "Gladly!" Clenching his fists at his sides, Gohan then took in a deep breath and began to concentrate. His muscles promptly swelling up and veins throbbing over his body, the young hybrid then let out a loud yell as the energy coursing through his body began to intensify. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! GRAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" His nerve endings burning like hot irons as he concentrated his power around the base of his spine where his tail waved and curled, the child allowed his aura to burst forth once again, only this time it no longer came out with a crimson hue.

On the contrary, as the red glow around his tiny body faded into his skin, it became replaced by golden embers instead, which surrounded Gohan and began wafting upwards with his energy. In a flash, his once dark hair from its reddish, black tint to a bluish one, before eventually flickering completely blonde. The moment it did, the breath the child took in next as he focused his energy was then let loose in a mighty howl of rage.

"_**HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"**_ Gohan screamed, the pain flashing away as his now pure golden aura exploded from him and tore into the sky in the form of a tornado.

The vortex of golden wind and embers expanded outwards, transforming into a vortex of power as his body let out a colossal shockwave. The entire top of the mountain he was standing on was split down the middle and exploded into rubble, before eventually evaporating amidst his transformation. The intensity of the light coming off his body caused Lucoa's jaw to drop and eyes to widen in amazement, as she watched the sky clear over the boy's head and his aura eventually condense around his body.

When the winds finally died down, it revealed Gohan hovering in the air bathed in a golden glow- his purple suit and armor defined by the light of his energy, while his now golden hair waved atop his crown. The sound of wind whipping about him became all too prominent and, when he eventually opened his eyes, he revealed a pair of teal irises resting in the whites.

Upon snapping them down towards the dragon girl below, the demi-Saiyan child grinned broadly.

"Let's go!" he exclaimed, another blast of wind exploding off him as his energy spiked once more.

Lucoa meanwhile, finally snapping out of her daze amidst the second blast of wind, felt a grin tug across her fangs as an excited growl left her teeth. "This odor… I recognize it…" she hissed, her body pulsing as the flames ripping around where her spines were then gushed out in excitement. A loud roar of force exploded from her own body as she felt her heartbeat quicken with excitement. "Super… Saiyaaaaan…!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Author's Note** And the competition heats up. Gohan enjoys fighting/playing with dragons, as seen in the first chapter of this story. Now he's finally found one that's giving him a pretty decent challenge- and he's loving it.

His Saiyan blood is now boiling to the point of mania. Since every Saiyan aspect about him is amplified due to his bloodline, let's see how this will affect the fight in the next chapter.

OOO

(Power level Update)

**Ginyu Force:**

Captain Ginyu – 120,000

Jeice – 50,000

Burter - 50,000

Recoome – 50,000

Guldo – 10,000

**Cooler's Armored Squadron:**

Salza (half Fruit + training) – 27,000,000

Myra (half Fruit + training) – 26,000,000

Neiz (half Fruit + training) – 24,000,000

Dore (half Fruit + training) – 24,000,000

Gohan (quarter Fruit + training) – 25,000,000

Gohan (Full Power/Aroused) – 60,000,000

Pseudo-Super Saiyan Gohan (Base x20) – 500,000,000

Super Saiyan Gohan (Base x50) – 1,250,000,000

xxx

Kida (Blue Fox) (three quarter fruit + training) – 1,020,000

Riko (Brown Fox) (three quarter fruit + training) – 1,015,000

Rei (White Fox) (three quarter fruit + training) – 1,018,000

xxx

Cooler (4th/True Form 100% – Post Training) – 330,000,000

Cooler (5th/Evolved Form – Post Training) – 1,320,000,000

xxx

Zangya (Base) – 5,000,000,000 (Don't worry. She'll get involved. Just not yet)

xxx

Frieza (4th/True Form 100%) – 120,000,000

Frieza (4th/True Form 100% - Post 3 days training) – 140,000,000

King Cold (2nd Restricted Form) – 150,000,000

King Cold (4th/True Form) – Unknown (you can assume it's going to be absolutely massive- like… Perfect Cell massive - as he's the true, main antagonist of Gohan's space adventure. So if you're wondering how Gohan will achieve the later Super Saiyan forms, here's his motivation)

**Lord Slug's Dark Empire:**

Commander Zeeun (Potential Unlocked) – 25,000,000

Angila (Potential Unlocked) – 26,400,000

Medamatcha (Potential Unlocked) – 24,600,000

Wings (Potential Unlocked) – 23,000,000

Lucoa (Base) – 25,000,000

Lucoa (Full Power/Aroused) – 60,000,000

Burning State Lucoa - 500,000,000

Inferno State Lucoa (Base x50) – 1,250,000,000

xxx

Lord Slug (Post Rebirth - Suppressed) – 260,000,000

Lord Slug (True Power) – Unknown

* * *

Yeah, the numbers are pretty crazy. But trust me, they'll get even crazier later on. Just wait.

Be sure to check out my paetreon for updates on my latest projects (I'm dividing my time between a lot, particularly my comic and novel, so my updates here are going to be spotty). I finished the drawn pages for my Gohan X Zangya dojin, and now I'm in the colour process. You can view the uncoloured version for free on my paetreon, but if you want to see more of my works or want to show your support, feel free to join up.


	21. Lord Slug Saga - Poor Prince

**Author's Note:** I just like to announce I finished my first NSFW dojin short comic for Gohan X Chi-Chi on my paetreon. This is just for those fans of this pairing, but for others I definitely do not recommend unless you just don't care.

My updates for fanfiction are spotty because of my commitment to my artwork and dojin, so forgive me if the updates are coming in slow pitches.

* * *

**Dragonball Z**

_**Alter Age**_

_Poor Prince_

(Meanwhile)

(Back on Earth)

Launch gave a low groan as her eyes slowly flickered open to the light of the sun beating down on her- and the feeling of violent tremors coursing through the ground. Roused from her momentary state of unconsciousness, the yellow-haired gunslinger took a moment to adjust her eyes and to get feeling back throughout the rest of her body.

When she was finally able to wiggle her toes and fingers, the woman then sat up- casually brushing aside the boulder that'd rolled onto her lap, while at the same time feeling clumps of dirt fall out of her hair. By the time she was up and able to survey her surroundings, she saw that she was currently lying in a field of rubble and rocks, surrounded by rocky tors and plateaus. Though it took her several seconds of wondering to figure out how she got there, she then remembered exactly what'd transpired prior to her lapse of consciousness.

"_Damn…"_ the woman thought when she looked towards the massive crater that'd previously been the mountain she'd been sniping from. Having acquired a decent enough position away from the battlefield to unload several ki-powered bullets at their Saiyan targets, Launch then remembered moving when she felt the short Saiyan's energy spike like crazy, seconds before the platform she was on became incinerated by a ball of white fire. "Good thing I got the hell out of the way when I did, otherwise I'd be a goner right now."

"You can say that again," a familiar voice from above chimed in, prompting the woman in the spandex shorts, singlet, and leather jacket to snap her attention to her right.

When Launch followed the green pant legs standing nearby up to their owner, she saw the familiar face of the three-eyed Tien staring down at her- along with his companion Chiaotzu hovering beside his shoulder. The instant her gaze met his, the bald martial artist cracked a smile.

"Hey. Are you okay?" Tien asked, reaching down and offering a hand to the blonde. "That was a close one, huh?"

Wincing a little bit at the headache that came back at her, Launch took the man's offering and allowed herself to get hoisted to her feet. "Y-Yeah. It sure as hell felt like it…"

Releasing her wrist when she was up, Tien took a step back and looked her over, at the same time Chiaotzu leaned forward and remarked on Launch's current state of miraculously aliveness. "Looks like you took a really bad dive off that cliff, Launch. Did one of those jerk Saiyans take a shot at you?"

The blonde scoffed at this as she glared at her arms. "Fuck yeah, they did."

A serious look came over Tien's face. "Which one?"

"The short one. Bastard fired a bang blast at me out of nowhere. It was freakin' fast," Launch answered. Dusting herself down and stretching her back- at the same time feeling her muscles pop one after the other- the woman then glared across the valley in the direction she guessed the attack had come from. "I suppressed my power level and positioned myself out of range so that their scouters wouldn't pick me up, just as we planned. But the prick was still able to home in on me despite having his unit off."

"He's that good, huh?" Tien mouthed, before then glancing in the direction he and the others could feel the battle going on. "Wow. Raditz wasn't kidding when he said his teammates were stronger than he was."

"I don't think _strong_ quite covers it," Launch replied, clenching her fists as her face steeled from the sensations she was currently picking up. When she saw a bright flash take place in the distance, followed by a cloud of smoke and fire bursting into the air, the blonde fighter felt her nose crinkle. "While the big one is tough, the little one is in an entirely different league of his own. Out of the two of them, he's definitely the most dangerous." After a few moments of consideration, the woman then looked back at Tien worriedly. "We may have trained our asses off these last eleven months, but even now I don't think we can beat him."

Processing this, Tien then smiled down at his companion. "Well, we have to at least try, right?" When he saw the blonde smirk back before reaching into her pocket for a capsule, the man then clenched his fists and raised them to his sides in a battle-ready pose. "So… you ready to do this?" he asked while looking between his two friends.

Chiaotzu, appearing just as pumped as he was, also clenched his fists. "Yeah!"

Popping the capsule with her thumb and causing a puff of smoke to explode in her hands, a black FN-SCAR (Special Forces Combat Assault Rifle) was then promptly deposited into Launch's grip- complete with two extra magazines attached to the side of the rifle's butt. Cracking the one already present and checking the rounds, Launch then rammed it back into the weapon and cocked it with a loud snap. It was an action accompanied by her weapon lighting up with a golden shimmer as she channeled ki through it to enhance its firing capabilities.

She then smirked back at Tien. "Locked and loaded."

The martial artist then grinned at her. "Then let's go." Powering up with a burst of white ki erupting around him, both he and Chiaotzu then took off in a blast of wind. Launch followed suit by also surrounding herself in energy and taking to the sky after them, their forms leaving a trail of white vapor behind them as they arced over the mountain ranges and towards the battlefield.

When the trio eventually came within sight of the front, they discovered a once pristine mountain landscape, which stretched from one end of the horizon to the other, had been effectively reduced to a field of smoking rubble and upturned earth. The ground, which had previously been covered in a thick layer of healthy soil and grass, was scorched black from multiple firebombs and explosions. The plateaus and tors, which dotted the area and provided a haven for both fauna and flora alike, had all been transformed into enormous piles of rock and stone. And the sky, which had earlier been calm and clear, was now choked with swirling clouds of smoke and embers, all of which were still gushing out of dozens of freshly formed craters punched into the region's surface.

And as for the cause of all this mayhem and destruction, they were still fighting it out in that area and trying to murder one another with everything in their arsenal.

Veins pulsing all over his engorged body, Nappa- now sporting partial remains of his body armor- allowed golden bolts of electricity to shoot out from his body as a scream of rage tore from his throat. Energy levels skyrocketing and ground shaking beneath his feet, the bald warrior concentrated all his power into his right hand as his aura sparked and crackled around him in a storm of rage.

Then, upon seeing his enraged opponent assume a defensive stance, the hulking, burly Saiyan male snarled through clenched teeth, before swiftly extending the index and middle fingers of his trembling limb. _**"Bakuhatsuha!"**_ (Volcanic Explosion) Nappa screamed, before swinging his arm upward and jabbing his fingers toward the sky. What followed a split second later was a flash of blinding light and a deafening blast, as an eruption of flames suddenly engulfed Raditz from the ground and sent a plume of fiery smoke gushing into the sky.

With the landscape in front of him being effectively split in half and incinerated by the veritable nuclear bomb that parted the clouds above, the bruised and battle-damaged Nappa then sprang high into the air just in time to avoid the oncoming shockwave and updraft. Glaring down as he watched the results of his attack cause the ground to implode and form a gaping, five-hundred-meter fissure within the area of effect- dragging a couple of tors into the bowels of the earth as the plates gave out- the bald warrior then blinked when he spotted a second flash of light occur from the dust, before a pair of golden beams suddenly shot up at him and struck him flush in the body.

Managing to cross his arms over his face in time, Nappa gave out a shout of pain when the twin blasts swallowed him up and detonated, causing him to lurch back as his skin was effectively scorched from the attack going off in front of him. When he lowered his arms and peered down in pain, the officer balked when he saw Raditz- still alive and appearing unfazed- rocketing up at him from the blanket of clouds.

With a yell, the long-haired Saiyan drove a fist across the bald fighter's face, smashing his skull to the side, before repeating this with several more blows. After hammering away at the stunned Nappa with crushing hooks, Raditz then prepared to follow up a kick, only to get smashed in the face by a punch from his former companion, who growled at him through a blood mouth and a crushed nose.

"You think you're stronger than me, little Raditz?! Me? The elite commander of the Saiyan army?!" Nappa barked, hitting the warrior a couple more times with hooks and preparing yet another. "Ha! I'll show you who's stronger, you upstart, low-level reject!" With a scream, the man threw yet another very telegraphed straight towards his opponent's face.

Raditz, despite getting hit so many times, promptly recovered and parried the larger warrior's punch like it was no big deal. The instant he did, the steeled-jawed, spiky haired fighter roared and powered forward, tackling Nappa in the stomach and effectively knocking the beefy man out of the sky. The pair screamed as they barreled towards the earth, with Kakarot's older brother managing to slam his larger counterpart right into the valley's face and form a new crater in the planet's surface. After the two of them sank into the ground, Raditz- keeping Nappa pinned at the bottom of the hole- grabbed the Saiyan by the ear and started burying his knuckles into the man's face over and over in a very MMA inspired beatdown. All the while the startled Saiyan commander attempted to guard against the rain of blows with everything he was worth.

As Raditz proceeded to beat his former ally upside his bald head and rearrange his mug, the rest of the Z-fighters were currently in the process of keeping a very pissed-off Vegeta occupied and out of reach of his companion.

The prince, having to contend with several mid-tier adversaries coming at him simultaneously from multiple directions, was having a surprisingly hard time dealing with not only the Z-fighters' numbers, but the sheer variety of unorthodox moves and attacks they were continuously dishing out at him.

Though the repeated volleys of energy bullets from Krillin and the unusual tracking shots thrown by Yamcha were something the Saiyan ruler was used to dealing with from regular enemies, it was the attacks unleashed by Chi-Chi and Piccolo that were proving to be the most startling and difficult for Vegeta to handle.

On top of the vast arsenal of energy waves that the Namekian had at his disposal- including eye beams, mouth lasers, electrical gust attacks, exploding energy waves, and the incredibly deadly and highly destructive drill beam that he fired whenever an opportunity arose- the man was also an incredibly skilled martial artist and strategist. The guy would always fight at a distance, using various hit and run tactics to keep the prince on his toes, while at the same time exploiting every single opening the Saiyan left in his defenses. And aside from being able to slice into his skin with his claws, the guy could also extend his reach to a ridiculous distance by stretching his arms and his legs as if they were made of elastic.

Getting caught the first time by the man's hand was something Vegeta made sure to keep watch for and further filled the prince with all kinds of frustrations, since he had no idea when Piccolo would come at him with those moves.

Then there was Goku's wife. Now, of all the opponents the Saiyan leader had come across in his years of plundering and ravaging planets, fighting against armed opponents that could do actual, serious damage was something he rarely ever came across. The tools that Chi-Chi had in her possession were not only unusual by alien standards, but also didn't seem to follow any logic or consistency in their use. The _**Bansho Fan**_ in particular, was not only capable of completely nullifying and redirecting energy attacks thrown at the user, it could also launch high pressure wind attacks with barely any movement, and fire powerful gales with the force of a hurricane behind every swing. The fact that she was also a very trained and capable martial artist, and was wielding the damn thing like a sword, also made striking at her incredibly perilous, as she would constantly knock Vegeta away with a powerful shockwave.

And this wasn't even counting the hardy, magical, indestructible, red _**Nyoibō **_(Power Pole/Staff That Obeys One's Will) that she was also carrying on her back.

After batting away a vicious onslaught of golden ki blasts fired by Krillin and promptly returning them with a beam of his own- forcing the bald fighter to dodge to avoid getting hit- a slightly burnt and annoyed Vegeta growled through his teeth before launching himself across the battlefield towards Chi-Chi. The woman, having moved to a far enough distance to allow her friends a chance to attack, then took up a defensive position with her Bansho fan when she spotted the prince flying toward her at high speed.

On his way across the sky, the Saiyan warrior blocked a charging punch from Yamcha, smashing the human warrior away with his arm, before then rocketing towards Kakarot's mate. With the other fighters shaken off or winded, the flame haired warrior gave a loud yell as he unleashed a ki-enhanced punch at the waiting female.

"RAAAGH! TAKE THIS!" the prince roared, his fist cutting through the air at blinding speed.

Reacting quickly, the battered Chi-Chi swung her Bansho fan around her arm and held it up like a shield, catching the glowing fist before it could make contact. While ordinarily this attack would've either impaled her or completely cracked through her defenses, the moment the glowing knuckles rammed into the banana fan's flappy surface, the green and red weapon warped under the blow for a split second, before suddenly deflecting the shockwave generated by the punch back at the prince.

The kickback of the sonic boom that reverberated off the fan knocked Vegeta away with a start- the man blinking in alarm when his shoulder was almost dislocated. Staggering across the sky, the prince gripped his wrist tightly, quickly suppressing the tremors that ran up said limb, before clenching his teeth and darting at Chi-Chi again.

"HRAAAGH!"

Dodging the prince when he lashed out at her with a normal punch, the woman then attempted to take a swing at him in direct retaliation, only to get hit herself when Vegeta spun around and struck her with a backfist. Getting cracked across the body by the Saiyan's arm caused a loud bang to ring out, as well as drawing a cry from Chi-Chi as she was knocked out of the air. Before Vegeta could capitalize on his advantage and chase after the wounded female, he suddenly felt his body jerk to an abrupt stop when something hard yanked on his hip.

Snapping his eyes over his cracked shoulder guard to see what'd halted him, Vegeta immediately spotted Yamcha floating directly behind him with his large, bruised hands firmly wrapped around his tail. Apparently, the wily Z-fighter had managed to recover from his last attack to dart in and snag the prince's extremity while the guy wasn't looking- obviously trying to take advantage of the Saiyan's main weakness. However, when Yamcha saw Vegeta turn around and glare at him with a wide-eyed, murderous stare, the human warrior quickly realized that what he'd just done was not an effective tactic.

Noticing the prince was still mobile and shooting daggers at him for disrupting his rhythm, the bruised and bleeding Yamcha blinked momentarily in alarm before reacting. "Oh, crap!" The scarred warrior with the thick mane of jet-black hair then speedily jumped away to avoid the hook thrown at him by Vegeta- who promptly followed up by drawing back his other hand and charging a ball of crackling, golden ki above his palm.

Vegeta snarled when he placed the panicking Yamcha squarely in his crosshairs. "You're a dead man!" the prince barked, his arm swinging forward to deliver the killing shot.

Just before his energy attack could leave his hand however, a sharp and unexpected bolt of pain shot through his face, followed immediately by a loud crack of a gunshot ringing out when a fist came flying out of nowhere to clock him across the jaw. Effectively knocked out of his movement and sent across the sky a few feet, the stunned Vegeta then looked around to see the green fist that'd hit him retract with the arm that'd thrown the sneak attack. Reeling back along the twenty-meter stretch of appendage at high speed, the prince then spotted its owner, Piccolo, come diving down at him from above in a blazing fury.

Letting out a mighty bellow, the Namekian took a swing down at the surprised Vegeta, attempting to nail the man with a chopping right. His downward punch however missed when his Saiyan target promptly leapt back in retreat, avoiding the blow. The moment the prince flew back, Piccolo's gaze snapped upwards, which was instantly followed by a flash of white light as two, very narrow beams shot out of his eyes towards the escaping Vegeta.

"What?!" Reacting in alarm, the prince swung one arm up and attempted to block it, only to get struck in the forearm at an awkward angle. The flash of pain that shot through Vegeta's limb was accompanied by part of his glove and spandex sleeve getting incinerated as the Namekian's eye lasers bounced off his limb while scorching him at the same time. "Argh! Bastard!"

The moment they heard the warrior's yelp of pain, both Piccolo and Yamcha then darted forward to engage him, the human fighter reaching Vegeta first and swinging his arms towards him in his signature flurry of hand attacks. _**"Rōgafūfūken!"**_(Wolf Fang Fist) the martial artist shouted, before unleashing a storm of slicing punches, kicks and palm strikes towards the shorter fighter.

Hurriedly deflecting and blocking the first wave of attacks, the pained Vegeta retreated slightly under the storm of hits. Though he managed to avoid and parry the first wave, the wily Z-warrior managed to crack him across the face with a kick, which stunned the prince momentarily. However, when Yamcha prepared to finish with the signature double-claw strike to knock the Saiyan back, Vegeta managed to bolt forward and hit the human fighter in the chest with a swift elbow strike- smashing Yamcha away and effectively fending off the nuisance.

The prince then barely had enough time to block the diagonal chop thrown at him from the other flank by Piccolo- catching the blow against his forearm before countering with a swiftly charged ki blast to the Namekian's stomach. Vegeta gave a roar as he sent the green warrior flying back from the explosion that occurred, watching the Namekian skid several yards through the air while trailing smoke from his burnt gi, before eventually coming to a smoldering halt.

The prince then prepared to give pursuit to the green warrior and take him out- thus removing the warrior from the battlefield. But just as he was about to bolt forward, Vegeta moved back sharply when a grouping of tiny golden beams suddenly shot past him. When his eyes snapped in the direction they'd come from, the infuriated prince spotted a still miraculously alive Launch diving at him from the side, assault rifle leveled at him and unleashing a hail of deadly bullets.

The woman let out a valiant war cry as she blazed across the sky, unleashing a stream of ki enhanced projectiles at the warrior faster than ordinary blasts. The prince was quickly put on the defensive- the invader attempting to block the barrage with his hands by smacking them away as best as he could. But due to the high rate of fire and the speed of the bullets launched by the assault rifle, Vegeta could only deflect the first wave before his limbs and shoulders ended up getting clipped by several rounds cutting across his skin and drawing blood.

"Agh! Ow Gragh!" Vegeta yelped, feeling his shoulder take a hit as a hole was effectively drilled into his flesh. Crossing his arms over and protecting his face, the prince watched as Launch circled him and unleashed several more rounds upon his stationary form, before promptly speed-loading her weapon and opening fire once again. "YOU DAMN BITCH! AAAGH!" Just as he was getting his curse out, the prince's body lurched forward when another blast unexpectedly exploded against his back, which prompted him to look behind him. There, he spotted Tien and Chiaotzu flying towards him from behind, their fingers extended and unleashing a hail of dense energy bullets upon him. "Where the fuck are you insects coming from?!"

From there, Launch, Tien and Chiaotzu proceeded to fly circles around Vegeta, unleashing energy bullet after energy bullet against the Saiyan while he floated there attempting to shield himself against the onslaught. A look of desperation came upon Vegeta's face as his eyes darted from left to right, feeling the bullets detonate against him repeatedly, while the metal ones cut into his flesh. Though he was managing to protect his vital from attack, due to the continuous barrage of rounds being hammered into him, it was only a matter of time before one of them found their mark.

"_I underestimated these earthlings. They were a lot more prepared than I thought. Raditz must have told them how Nappa and I fought, as well as how to counter us- that conniving, cowardly bastard,"_ Vegeta thought, wincing when he felt even more blasts begin raining down on him as the injured Piccolo, Yamcha and Krillin flew in, and began laying into the prince with their own beams. Every single one of them remained in motion and circled the stationary Saiyan, chipping away at him with round after round of punishing energy spheres. As they detonated against Vegeta's armor and began whittling it down, to the point that not only did his back become exposed, but one of his shoulder plates was smashed off, and an entire legging on his spandex was incinerated._ "Damn it. Damn it. Damn it! That does it! I'm not going to be taken down by a bunch of wretched weaklings from a backward planet! I'm the Prince of all Saiyans! The most elite of my class! Destined to become the greatest warrior in the universe! AND I REFUSE TO HAVE MY REPUTATION SULLIED BY THIS WORTHLESS TRASH!"_

Clenching his eyes shut as he allowed his rage to fuel him, Vegeta took several deep breaths and concentrated on the moment. Then, as the group of Z-fighters continued to hammer him from a distance and Chi-Chi also joined in the fray, the prince- overcome with pain and frustration- snapped his bloodshot eyes open before throwing his arms out. "HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" His primal scream was accompanied by a flashing of blinding light, as the man expelled a wave of energy from his entire body and sent the blast ripping through the sky in a sphere.

The circling Z-fighters all flinched under the blast of light and promptly retreated, backing out of range of the explosion of blinding white energy that threatened to incinerate them. With most of them shielding their faces, the group was unable to see the battered and seething Vegeta rocketing out of the blast's epicenter and towards Piccolo.

The Namekian balked when he saw the prince tearing towards him, the prince cocking his arm back as his purple aura exploded around him. "Oh, shit!" the green fighter cursed, crossing his arms over to block the coming punch. However, due to the speed and power Vegeta had over him, Piccolo only had enough time to brace himself before the Saiyan smashing right into him with a devastating haymaker.

What followed by a loud squelch and a spray of purple blood, as Vegeta's punch went straight through Piccolo's guard and tore his right arm off at the collar bone. In the most spectacular display of gore ever witnessed by the heroes, the Namekian's right arm and shoulder went flying off, as almost his entire right side was blown off by the prince's charging attack.

Piccolo- despite moving to the side at the last moment to stop the attack from hitting any vitals- floated there with a stunned look on his face as blood gushed out of his open side.

A bloodthirsty grin crossed Vegeta's face as he glanced behind him at the cloud of blood he left hanging in the air. "One down!"

The Z-fighters stared in shock, their jaws slack as they watched their comrade's body drop out of the sky and plummet towards the planet. It was Krillin who inevitably broke the silence. "PICCOLO! NO!"

Launch, being the first to respond, promptly raised her rifle and let loose a burst of bullets towards Vegeta's glowing form, only to see him dart to the side and begin shooting across the sky towards another of her compatriots. "Fuck! He's too quick!"

Ignoring the bullets attempting to snipe him, the enraged Vegeta took aim at Yamcha, who he saw was drifting off and away from the pack. "You're next, scar face!"

The human warrior stiffened and braced themselves, taking a stance in preparation for the blow to come. However, the instant Vegeta came within reach of him and split second later and began throwing his punch, the prince suddenly halted in midair when an invisible force unexpectedly slammed down upon him. Jerking to a stop midflight, the flame-haired warrior sheathed in the purple aura blinked when he found himself frozen in mid punch and unable to move. Clenching his teeth, the man growled as he struggled to track down who was holding him in place.

Black eyes darting to the left and around him, he then spotted to tiny, white Z-fighter Chiaotzu floating at a distance- both hands extended towards him, a strained look on his face, and a light blue aura wafting off his body. The diminutive fighter groaned as he clenched his hands against the air to focus all his effort and energy on the now frozen Vegeta, who he'd managed to catch with his telekinesis.

Being the overconfident, straight-lined fighter that he was, being confronted by a psychic on this planet was something Vegeta never anticipated. "Y-You!"

"I'm not…" Chiaotzu growled as sweat broke out on his intense face, "letting you… hurt… another one… of my friends!"

Snarling as his body twitched in place and his aura fluctuated, the prince attempted to fight his way out of the invisible binds. But try as he might, he just couldn't.

Yamcha, taking advantage of the man's inability to move, clenched his feet and darted forward, along with Tien and Chi-Chi. Flying at the suspended Saiyan from three different directions, the human fighters began walloping the prince with barrages of punches and kicks, beating him with strings of relentless blows that knocked his head and body around like a pinata. Several of Tien's punches managed to draw blood from Vegeta's mouth as he hit him with several deadly hooks, almost causing the trapped warrior to black out as he was unable to block or even move out of reach of their assault.

"Yah! Yah! Yah!" Yamcha shouted, hitting Vegeta across the face with a couple of jabs, before then grabbing the man by his hair and driving a hook into his nose, crushing it. "HAYAAH! TAKE THIS, YOU CREEP!"

After getting hit by punches and then kicked in the stomach by Chi-Chi, the elite fighter had just about had enough. "ARGH! GAH! AUGH! OW! FUCK! KNOCK… AGH… IT… GAH… OFF… AUGH!" Vegeta snarled, quickly opening his left hand amidst the rain of blows and speedily sending all of his energy into his palm.

Noticing what Vegeta was doing as Tien, Chi-Chi and Yamcha continued to lay the abuse on the trapped Saiyan, Krillin recoiled before shouting in warning. "HEY! WATCH OUT!"

With a grunt of effort, the Saiyan Prince unleashed a blinding flash of energy- scattering its beams to strike all three fighters at the same time. The human warriors beating up the prince were all knocked away- their bodies getting scorched by his flash bang. The light also temporarily blinded everyone in range, causing Chiaotzu to flinch and lose his grip over his telekinetic net.

Vegeta, breaking free of the little fighter's ability, powered up again and rushed towards the nearest fighter in his sight- Chi-Chi. Being one of the more troublesome Z-fighters, the prince made a B-line for her, drawing her attention and causing her to recoil in alarm.

"YOU'RE MINE, WRETCH!" the prince bellowed, his right hand opening up and preparing to run her through.

Expecting Vegeta to retaliate, the raven-haired beauty promptly drew Goku's Power Pole from her back and propped it in front of her with both hands. Taking aim with the end, the woman then quickly uttered the magic words to unlock the staff's hidden ability and struck. "POWER POLE EXTEND!" she shouted, a split second before the red shaft shot towards the approaching Vegeta.

The staff suddenly extending in size was something the prince certainly wasn't expecting to happen, as the magical weapon hit him square in the torso, knocked the wind out of his lungs, and sent him flying back as it literally pushed him out of the sky. The short fighter could only cry out in surprise as his body was sent barreling towards the planet below, seconds before his body slammed into a field of boulders and sent a cloud of dust belching into the air.

The second Chi-Chi saw Vegeta slam into the ground, the woman promptly retracted the staff- reducing its size in an instant- and promptly sheathed it onto her back.

"Eat that, you jerk!" the woman called out, her expression twisted in anger and focus.

Taking advantage of the Saiyan Prince being downed, Chi-Chi, Krillin, Chiaotzu, and Yamcha swept in over the crash site. As smoke was still bellowing into the air, all four of them drew their hands back, rapidly gathered ki into their palms, before simultaneously firing blasts down at where their opponent had been slammed- with the two students of Master Roshi unleashing _**Kamehamehas**_, Chiaotzu firing a _**Psychic Attack**_, and Chi-Chi unleashing a laser from her forehead.

The combination of beams rocketed towards the ground at blinding speed, before impacting the boulder field and detonating with colossal force. A massive, dome-shaped explosion ruptured the countryside and sent shockwaves tearing across the sky, ruffling the gi of the two bruised and bleeding human fighters, and causing an equally injured Chi-Chi to narrow her eyes on the area of effect. Surely with their combined assault they must've put a bit more damage on the Saiyan Prince, otherwise they were all going to be in a lot of trouble.

Fortunately, they didn't have to wait too long for a result. Seconds after seeing the golden dome of their joint attacks fade away, leaving a large, smoldering crater behind, the group of planetary defenders then spotted the diminutive form of their dangerous opponent kneeling in the center of the fissure. With fumes wafting off his scorched bruised, and burnt body, his armor cracked in multiple places, and his spandex also torn- revealing multiple cuts and burns on his person- the winded Vegeta wobbled momentarily as he quickly righted himself on the ground. After taking a deep breath, he then shot a glare up at the sky and growled through his teeth.

"That does it. I'm fed up with all these stupid games. Everyone on this mudball of a planet… all of you pathetic fools… you're all dead…" Vegeta hissed.

Krillin, hearing this, winced in a fearful manner. "Uhh… I think we may have made him a little mad."

A scoff came from Launch as she pulled up alongside them. "Heh. So what? Are we supposed to be scared just because this arrogant prick's about to throw a hissy fit?"

Yamcha, able to hear what was being discussed, chuckled nervously. "Well… I mean… he did just take out one of us."

"Who? Piccolo?" Launch asked while glancing across at her compatriot, before then promptly looking back down at the seething Saiyan warrior. "Ah, the green man will be alright. You'll see." Upon sensing Yamcha look across at her in mild surprise, the blonde gunwoman raised her rifle and took aim down the crosshairs. "Don't let this guy's temper tantrums intimidate you. He may be strong and fast, but we have the numbers and the skill to deal with it. If we work together and keep up the pressure, I think we have a very good shot of taking him down."

Vegeta, able to hear them clearly from the ground, spat the blood out of his mouth before shooting the group a deathly glare. "Please. Do you honestly think that a group of fools like you with power levels averaging a measly eight thousand apiece, will be enough to stop me? The Prince of all Saiyans and the strongest of my race? Well, think again!" The man then cocked a hand in front of him, focused his energy into his palm, and began charging an energy attack. "Just you watch. I'll become the mighty Oozaru… and crush all of you weaklings into dust! I'll show you the power of a true Saiyan warrior!"

Zipping in front of them and positioning himself directly over where Vegeta was standing and charging his attack, Tien- his three eyes locked on the ground and hands already slammed together- allowed a current of gold lightning to shoot down his arms. "And let me show you how many fucks I give about your Saiyan power," the human said, before promptly forming a diamond shape between his hands and zooming in on the fallen prince through the gap. Expression steeling as veins pulsed over his skull, Tien snarled. _**"KI-KO-HOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" **_(Spirit Cultivation Gun)

A blinding flash of white light then filled the sky as an orange beam of intense energy rocketed down towards Vegeta at such a rate, it caused the man's shadow to stretch and spin around him as the man's attack plummeted in his direction. At first the prince didn't think much of Tien's approaching blast, and continued to concentrate energy into the sphere he planned on using to create an artificial moon…

"Ha! Now that's just adora-oh MY _**GOOOOOOOOOD!"**_

That was until the attack came close enough that Vegeta felt the skin on his face start to crackle, a split second before his entire body became engulfed in an orange pillar of light. His scream was drowned out by the howl of Tien's energy blast, as the entire field around the Saiyan Prince covering an area of three-hundred square meters was effectively incinerated by the man's geometrically perfect blast.

After feeling his body get set alight inside the torrent of energy, Vegeta felt the ground vanish under him as he was sent tumbling down into the planet. His body was hammered by rubble as he was sent hurtling through Tien's attack, who continued letting loose the strongest 'fuck you' blast the Saiyan had been hit with in a long time.

As the ground caved in around the site of the attack, many yards away Piccolo- who'd dropped out of the sky after having his entire right arm blown off- shakily stood up while gripping his bloody, mangled right side. Narrowing his eyes on the spot where Vegeta had previously been standing, the green warrior clenched his teeth as he then began focusing his efforts on repairing the damages left behind by the Saiyan Prince.

"_Damn… he's able to withstand all of that?"_ the Namekian thought, able to sense the prince through the shockwaves after Tien finally finished feeding ki into his most powerful attack. Sweat breaking out on his face, the wounded warrior let out a groan. "Hurry up, Goku. We've managed well without you so far, but I don't think we'll be able to hold him back for much longer…"

OOO

While all this chaos was going on and the planet earth was being torn a new one, the groups of Z-fighters were unaware of a lone audience member watching the group from afar. As the smoke belched out of the square-shaped crater formed by Tien's ki attack, a tiny, green little robot the size of a fly was currently hovering out of range of the shockwaves- its tiny claws it used as syringes shifting as its eyes twinkled with tiny, electronic lights.

Buzzing as it hovered in place, the insect-sized, mobile camera with the _Red Ribbon Army_ label shifted its focus from the crater to the Z-fighters above- all of whom it began to assess with the intent of any highly advanced scanner.

As for the owner of this electronic critter, they were currently poised well outside of range of the battlefield.

Sitting on the edge of a cliff, far enough away from the mountain valley to see the flash of Tien's _Kikoho_ in the distance, a young woman sat in a relaxed and cheerful manner. Appearing as a seemingly ordinary woman of twenty years of age, with a gorgeous, perfectly symmetrical face, sharp eyes, curvaceous build, long, bushy auburn hair, and wearing a red and blue sleeveless short dress, opaque black tights and arm sleeves, red and blue heeled boots, hooped earrings, black square-rimmed glasses, and a white lab coat, the stranger sat back on the cliff and enjoyed the view in front of her.

Humming to herself as she reached into the packet next to her and pulled out a macaron, the woman took a loving bite out of it as she watched the screen of the laptop sitting on her legs, which was currently playing a shot-for-shot battle between the two Saiyan invaders and the Z-fighters.

Upon seeing Vegeta get blasted by Goku's former rival Tien, the woman with long, curly hair gave a giggle as her blue eyes flickered with enjoyment.

"Goku's friends have certainly gotten stronger since the last tournament," she chirped to herself while continuing to enjoy the macaron she was eating. Moving her finger over her laptop's pad and moving the camera around to where Raditz was beating the stuffing out of Nappa, the female scientist with the Red Ribbon Army insignia on her coat's sleeve felt her smile tug even wider. "How _exciting_. I bet we'll be able to make good use out of this material."

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Author's Note**: Since everyone knows what Gero was up to leading towards the Android Saga, I wanted to take this opportunity and add another special addition I truly loved to the R&R subplot that took place during the Saiyan and Namek Saga.

Oh yeah, and let's not forget Vegeta and Nappa are getting the stuffing kicked out of him. Vegeta is now in the seat that Nappa was in when his comrade fought the Z-fighters in the original series, only this time the Z-fighters are taking advantage of their knowledge of the Saiyan's tactics and their abilities to properly lay the smackdown on them, and give Goku enough time to make it to save his friends.

However, given how strong Vegeta is, people are still going to get very hurt. Case in point, Piccolo having an entire chunk of his body taken out.

OOO

(Power level Update)

**Saiyans:**

Vegeta: 18,000

Nappa: 4,000 (7,500 to 8,000 maximum)

Saibamen: 1,200 (each)

**Z-fighters:**

Piccolo: 8,000 to 10,000

Krillin: 5,000 to 6,000

Chi-Chi: 6,000 to 7,000

Yamcha: 6,000

Tien: 8,000 to 9,000

Chiaotzu: 3,000

Launch: 5,000 to 6,000

Raditz: 8,000 to 10,000


	22. Lord Slug Saga - True Prodigy

**Author's note: **I'm still in Japan at the moment, so work is a little slow.

* * *

**Dragonball Z**

_**Alter Age**_

_True Prodigy_

(Meanwhile)

(Across the Quadrant)

As the battle between the Seventh Naval Fleet of the _Cooler Force_ and Lord Slug's_ Dark Empire_ continued across the valleys of the ice planet, deep inside the black citadel and command center of the rogue satellite, the leader of the demonic armies was currently locked in a state of deep contemplation. Leaning back in his golden throne with his cheek resting against the knuckles of his right hand, the robed Namekian with the scar across his eye smiled as he rolled two, tiny energy spheres between his fingers as if they were a couple of Baoding Balls. The ki spheres hummed with a light tone as they rolled against his palm, providing him a form of practical entertainment as he casually watched the hologram of the ongoing battle playing out in front of him.

With his attention fully invested in the footage being captured by the multitude of roaming spy cameras he had scattered across his world cruiser, he seemed completely oblivious to the sight of his top two scientists Kakuja and Gyoshu ordering a group of soldiers out of the room- all of whom were pushing a cart carrying a couple of eggs. While all this was going on over by the control room's side exit, the diminutive form of Frieza's son- Kuriza- could be seen sitting in a small chair alongside Lord Slug.

His tail curled up and his posture stiff and straight, the young alien prince was doing everything he could to keep himself calm as he nervously watched the projector in front of them. Initially, the boy had been more distracted by the commotion of soldiers pushing material and computers out of the room to the side of the room. However, upon seeing his uncle's elite commandoes arrive and engage the commanders of Lord Slug's military in battle, the child's focus had become squarely fixed on the hologram, while his ears picked up the sounds of battle blaring through every speaker scattered around the citadel's hall.

Upon watching the last of the armored soldiers leave, with Gyoshu following them, the hooded form of the small alien Kakuja turned and bowed towards Lord Slug. "It is done, my lord. The last of your artifacts and scientific instruments have been loaded up onto the frigate and is ready to depart."

Lord Slug nodded without even looking across at the alien. "Good. Take my ship and head to the coordinates I specified. Once this battle is over, my commanders and I shall rendezvous with you in the outer rim territories. Do not deviate from my plan in any way. Understood?"

"Yes. As you command, my lord," Kakuja replied without a stutter or whimper of any kind. Giving one last bow, the hooded alien turned and scurried out through the side door, which sealed itself shut behind him the instant he passed over the threshold.

Smirking at hearing his subordinates leave, the Namekian warlord with the hood and cloak concealing much of his body then proceeded to wait as he eyed the video feed playing before him. As he casually observed Cooler's Forces smash through his armies as more and more explosions ripped across the icy fields- with their resounding blasts being heard echoing through the walls of the citadel- Slug then stopped rolling the two energy spheres in his palm to address the alien child seated beside him.

"Come now, little prince," the Namekian spoke, drawing the fear struck Kuriza's gaze towards him as he sat there with a content expression in play. "Why so nervous? There's no need to be afraid."

Kuriza frowned as he glared back at the green warlord. "I'm not afraid."

"Hmm… the way you're reacting tells me otherwise," Slug chuckled, before glancing across at the boy with a foul smile. "This is a day of new beginnings. New life. A time of celebration. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show." He then shot the boy a wry smirk. "I wouldn't want you to miss the sight of your rescuers being slaughtered one after the other."

After shooting the man a cold look, the boy returned his gaze to the projection, where he was able to observe the flash of another explosion swallow up the screen as a group of soldiers on Cooler's side were obliterated by an artillery round going off amongst them. The spectacle of bodies being tossed into the air with the rest of the debris sent a horrid chill down Kuriza's back.

A couple more minutes passed, in which the young prince was forced to watch the hologram as Lord Slug casually rolled the pair of energy bullets around in his fingers. He even had them hover up and down above his palm a couple of times- all the while continuing to orbit one another. Then, as the Namekian called the spheres back into his grip after telekinetically circling them around his body in a flashy display of skill, a commotion on the other side of the room drew Kuriza's attention toward the big hall's entrance.

Watching as two soldiers dressed in white armor came flying across the room to crash into the hard, metal floor, Kuriza then noticed five other figures come running in after them. Fanning out around the archway in a textbook, tactical formation, the incredibly distinct and colorful members of the flamboyant _Ginyu Force_ made their presence known.

Upon assuming flashy fighting stances, the leader of the group and captain of the squadron- Ginyu himself- took several paces forward before thrusting his hand towards the other side of the command center. "Fear not, Prince Kuriza! The legendary commandoes of Lord Frieza's elite have arrived and are here to rescue you!" The purple officer blurted out, with all the grace and subtly of a sledgehammer.

Expression brightening when he recognized the men in RIT armor gathered at the other end of the wide hall, the young Kuriza chirped, "Mr. Ginyu!" Feeling the anxiety and fear leave him, and forgetting where he was in his excitement- the child wasted no time in getting out of his chair, rushing down the stairs, and sprinting towards the squad as they watched him approach them with brave smiles.

For a few, worry free seconds, Kuriza thought he was safe.

However, the moment he crossed the halfway point of the command center of the citadel, the short, diminutive son of Frieza suddenly felt his body come to an unexpected halt mid stride. His muscles tightening as if being overridden by an unknown, malicious force, the child stared ahead of him with wide eyes as a numb, prickly feeling shot over his skin. When the Ginyu Force's smiles vanished at the sight of the boy's sudden stop, the group then watched as Kuriza's statuesque form was wordlessly yanked back by an invisible tether and dragged back toward the seat he'd been previously sitting in.

The instant his back slammed into the cushions, the child looked around him in momentary alarm before his gaze shot across to Lord Slug, whom he noticed was still lounging casually in his throne with a sickly smile in play and the two energy bullets circling luxuriously across his palm.

Juice blinked, "Huh? What in the bloody heck-?"

As if on cue, Lord Slug's deep voice broke the air with an amused laugh. "Sorry. But all hostages are to remain seated until the end of the crisis. Complimentary drinks and snacks will be provided shortly."

With the expressions of the Ginyu Force troop hardening at the warlord's off-beat attempt at pulling a funny, Burter then leaned over and whispered to their commander. "I take it that's the enemy forces' head honcho?"

"I believe you're right," Ginyu answered- his voice stern and carrying a hint of caution as he glared down the cloaked figure seated beside the clearly captive Kuriza. Rolling his shoulder as he amped himself up for a fight, the captain began marching forward, closely followed by the rest of his now defensive cohort. "You must be Lord Slug."

"I am," the Namekian answered.

Slowly making their way across the hall, Ginyu continued to press the figure with interrogative statements. "I gotta say, you managed to stir up quite a bit of trouble since you came busting into Lord Frieza's territory. Not only did you manage to piss off our illustrious emperor, but you even managed to get Lord Cooler's forces involved in your little crusade, which I have to admit is not the brightest move you could've made. You might as well have just thrown yourself into the nearest star and saved them the trouble of coming to kill you themselves."

"Oh, on the contrary… it's exactly the kind of move I wanted to make," Lord Slug interjected, cutting the purple warrior off and causing him and his crew of ragtag subordinates to stop in their tracks. "After taking a look at my minions outside and the kind of muscle they're flexing, you should have a pretty good idea of the kind of tactics I can dish out."

As a loud beeping from one of his squad's scouters rang out, Ginyu narrowed his eyes on the warlord angrily. "That remains to be seen."

The moment the trill of his scanner stopped, Jeice spoke up. "We can take this poser. His power level is nowhere near the level of those freaks we saw outside. It's only just over two thousand."

While Recoome, Burter and Guldo gave a momentary sigh of relief, the captain simply squinted at the guy situated on the throne before whispering. "No. Something doesn't feel right," he said, startling his XO. After being reminded of the absurd battle powers of the five demons outside, as well as the numbers the members of Salza's squadron were giving off, Ginyu had many reasons to suspect that the man in front of them wasn't showing his true strength. In fact, after having his scouter literally blow up in his face, the commando leader didn't want to make the same mistake of underestimating their foe. "So what exactly is this grand plan of yours? Why enrage the Cold family and risk destruction by bringing their armies to your front door? What do you hope to accomplish from that?"

Lord Slug chuckled as he casually continued to roll the energy bullets between his fingers in a stylish manner, all while keeping an eye on the hologram still playing out at the foot of the stairs. "Even if I was to explain it to you simpletons, neither of you would be able to understand the true scope and loftiness of my goals. After all, you five are just lowly servants running errands for a master who is unfit to rule." After allowing the two energy balls to telekinetically orbit his hand, the lounging Namekian scoffed. "I won't waste anymore words with you weaklings."

Taking immediate offense to this, the red-skinned Jeice grit his teeth and took a step forward. "That's big talk coming from a man who has to hide behind a child for protection." This comment was backed by nods from Recoome and Burter, whereas Ginyu remained steadfastly silent.

Stopping his energy bullets in the air above his palm, Slug shot the short fighter a look that had Jeice balk a little. When a couple seconds of tense silence passed, in which Kuriza also watched the exchange with baited breath, the warlord then glanced back down at his hand. "You five were sent here by Frieza to reclaim his son, is that correct?" After allowing that question to dangle over the group for a moment, the Namekian leader chuckled. "Very well. Why don't you come up here and get him. It should be a simple enough task for the members of his elite."

Jeice, having heard enough of this man's condescending way of speaking, then swung up his right hand and prepared to charge his _Crusher Ball _attack. "Oh, I'm gonna pulverize this fucker."

"Wait, Jeice," Ginyu spoke, thrusting a hand out and stopping the shorter fighter from following-through with his intent. "If you throw anything at him from this distance, you might hit Prince Kuriza or catch him in the crossfire. We have to take him up close." Seeing Jeice lower his hand and curse through his teeth, the captain then shot a glance towards the smallest member of their team. "Guldo. Hit him with a time freeze. Recoome. Burter. Stick with him."

Blinking a couple of times, the bulky warrior with orange hair steeled his jaw and nodded. "Aye, aye, sir!"

"You got it, boss." Swinging his arms about in a stylish manner and feeling the two, large hands of his compatriots grip his shoulder accents, Guldo then let out a deep breath before inhaling sharply. The moment he did and braced himself, he then thrust both hands in front of him and uttered in his head, _**"Time Freeze!" **_The instant he recited the incantation, everything within his range of view and beyond instantaneously froze in place, while simultaneously becoming saturated by a greyscale filter.

The second he, Recoome and Burter saw everything stop, including the two energy bullets revolving above Lord Slug's hand, the two largest fighters of the sqauad immediately took action and darted forward as fast as they could. Flanking the throne platform from different directions, the pair then converged on their target- with the blue warrior barking orders.

"You take the freak! I got the kid!" the Roach-seijin shouted.

"Gotcha!" the orange haired warrior answered, cranking back his fist as he dove towards the seated warlord with murderous intent blasting around him as fiercely as his pink aura.

With the stage set and so much passion and energy radiating from his massive body, Recoome was guaranteed the perfect opportunity to slug the evil villain right across his smug, frozen face. As the two closed in at virtually the same time, it looked like there was absolutely nothing stopping them.

However, just as Burter was feet away from grabbing the frozen Kuriza from his seat, the cocky warrior suddenly- out of the corner of his red eyes- saw Lord Slug's pupils suddenly move and lock onto him. The sight of the seemingly time-stopped warlord looking at him was enough to draw a frightened yelp from Burter and cause him to reel back in alarm, a split second before the two energy spheres frozen above the warmonger's palm lit up and shot towards both him and Recoome at virtually the same time.

The two energy bullets struck the alarmed pair square in the chests with such force it was almost like they were kicked by a super-powered mule, which sent the pair flying across the chamber to slam into a metal pillar and wall respectively. The second their bodies crashed into the obstacles, they then dropped to the floor.

Guldo meanwhile, who saw the whole thing, barely had enough time to widen his eyes before one of the two energy bullets Lord Slug was controlling flew at him and nailed him in the forehead- knocking him into a spin that dropped him to the floor with a hard thud. The same time he face-planted was exactly the same time his two larger teammates also hit the floor.

The instant the green alien was downed, the world once again resumed ticking as the greyscale filter was lifted, and the two energy spheres responsible for taking out the trio of attackers flew back to their owner to land in his palm. The moment he had them, the warlord began nonchalantly rolling them once more.

When he saw Ginyu and Jeice finally react to the sight of their three down compatriots, Lord Slug allowed a snort to leave his lips. "Oof. That looked like it hurt."

Jeice, jaw hanging slack as he watched the wounded Burter, Guldo and Recoome slowly struggle to their feet, then snapped his gaze to the warlord. "He… He broke out of Guldo's time stop? How?"

Chuckling even louder at the confused soldier's question, the hooded Slug cocked his head against the knuckles he was propping it against. "Mysterious… isn't it?"

Kuriza, looking between his captor and rescuers in panic, then shouted towards the superhero troop. "MR. GINYU! BE CAREFUL! THIS MAN IS INCREDIBLY STRONG AND DANGEROUS!"

Holographic scouter jumping up over his eye, the horned captain analyzed the specs surrounding the seated warlord for a couple extra seconds before his teeth clenched in frustration. "The damn thing is still reading at just over two thousand." He then jammed a finger into the ear piece and deactivated the lens. "I thought this was supposed to be an updated model."

Deciding to add a little bit of insight, the green warrior with the hood pointed with the fingers he was using to prop his head against the armrest. "You know… it's a really bad habit to rely on the numbers those things throw up for you. Especially when you're dealing with an opponent who knows how to hide their power level."

A befuddled Jeice turned to face his superior. "People can actually do that, Captain?"

The officer in charge of their operation huffed. "It appears that way."

Watching as Burter, Recoome and Guldo limped back over to where Captain Ginyu was standing, the hooded Lord Slug let out a disappointed groaning sound. "Aww… is that it? Surely you five can't be done already." He then held the hand he was holding the two energy marbles out and shrugged. "You guys really are just a bunch of weaklings. All bark but no bite."

Jeice, clenching his teeth tightly, then let out a roar as his red aura blasted around him. "D-Darn it! I've had it with this guy! Nobody disrespects the Ginyu Force!" Leaning over, he then bolted forward with a blast of wind, "Come on, Burter! Let's show this wanker what we're made of!"

"Right behind you!" The blue fighter shouted back, his own aura jumping up around him before tearing after his partner.

In a flash, the red and blue auras bolted across the throne room and towards the boss, who continued to remain where he was with a cheerful smile in play. When Jeice and Burter split, they then converged on the warrior from two sides- one from behind and the other in front. Giving out two war cries, the duo prepared to nail the boss from their respective charges.

But the moment they came within arm's reach of the tyrant, Lord Slug casually rolled one of the golden energy bullets he was holding into his thumb and index finger, and casually flicked it at the warrior in front of him. The tiny round left his finger with such force that when it hit Jeice squarely between the eyes, it not only generated the sound of a gunshot, but managed to knock the little fighter hurtling back. Not only that, but when the energy round bounced off of his forehead, he shot backwards and nailed Burter across the cheek, cocking his head to the side before flinging him across the hall to crash through one of the computer terminals.

As soon as the pair of warriors crashed painfully to the ground in the directions they were thrown, both Recoome and Guldo took action as well- with the diminutive fighter rushing forward, stopping a few feet ahead of his taller compatriot, and firing multiple laser bolts from his extra set of chameleon eyes. The beams shot towards the seated Lord Slug like a hail of glowing arrows ready to impales him, but before they could even make contact with the hooded warlord, the rounds were effortlessly batted aside by the tiny energy sphere Lord Slug had flicked telekinetically flying into their path and whacking them away.

Like a glowing bee, the tiny bullet darted between the hail of laser bolts and smashed each one away. As Guldo kept on firing, the tiny sphere rushed forward and smashed the small fighter in the chest plate, cracking it and knocking him flying past Ginyu and Recoome.

The latter, ignoring his smaller compatriot shooting past him, threw his head forward and unleashed a highly concentrated_** Erasa Gun**_ from his mouth towards the throne. Like a beam, the attack followed a straight line directly towards Lord Slug and would've undoubtedly engulfed him were it not for the tiny, insect of an energy ball coming to stop directly in front of its user and expanding to form a golden wall. The result was Recoome's blast crashing into the barrier and splitting up into multiple rays that scattered across the room- sending sparks and flashes of embers flying everywhere.

While Recoome continued to feed ki into the attack, Lord Slug willed the shield he'd erected to push forward. Like a locomotive, the tin, ocular shield powered straight through the Ginyu Force member's attack, before slamming into the man's face- knocking him off his feet and flying past his captain to join his smaller compatriot on the other side of the hall.

Seeing all of his men get beaten down one after the other so effortlessly had Ginyu himself standing there gaping, with his eyes quickly snapping back towards Lord Slug after seeing Recoome tumble to a stop alongside the fallen Guldo. When the dust settled, the purple-skinned warrior clenched his fists and snarled as he watched the translucent shield the warlord had thrown return to its original, ball form, and fly back to its owner. From there, both it and the second sphere began to orbit Lord Slug's body like a pair of twin moons- setting a methodical and threatening pace around the Namekian.

The leader of the demon planet chortled in amusement. "Strike two, my friend. Care to give it one more try."

Ginyu, body trembling fearfully as he desperately tried to come up with some sort of strategy, was the hit with a lightbulb moment. Steeling himself, the man then swung both his arms out and fanned himself where he stood- causing Lord Slug to cock his right brow while Kuriza watched in an intrigued fashion.

"M-Mr. Ginyu?" The boy whispered, completely baffled by the pose the horned officer had taken.

"Try this on for size!" Ginyu shouted, before his eyes widened as he gave a scream of defiance, _**"CHANGE NOW!"**_ The man's yell tore across the room about as fast as the golden flash that followed, which left his mouth in the form of a beam and shot towards his stationary target with unknown power and purpose.

Unlike the other attacks, this one managed to make its mark and momentarily envelop him. However, the second Lord Slug's body became encased in golden light, there was a secondary, brighter flash followed by the sound of a sonic boom, as the golden light swiftly vanished and Ginyu was unexpectedly knocked off his feet. The anomaly happened so fast that the leader of the attack force could barely give out a yelp of shock before he was eventually sent tumbling across the metal floor past both Recoome and Guldo.

When he eventually stopped, he ended up flat on his back and looking up at the ceiling with an utterly confused expression on his face.

"W-What… the… hell…?" the captain choked out, before a series of coughs ripped from his throat as the shaken commander tried to roll over. Gasping for air as his ribs seemed to close in on his lungs, the stunned Captain Ginyu retched a few more times as he fought back the sensation of being hit in the heart by a sledgehammer. "W-Where did… how the… why…?"

As the purple commander stuttered in confusion and his wounded, ground men looked up in astonishment, the smirking Lord Slug let out another laugh. "Fool. Did you honestly think that a simple body switch technique of that caliber could possibly do anything against me? To think you would even attempt it… I'm insulted." Shifting in his seat for the first time that hour, the hooded Namekian narrowed his eyes on the fallen members of the Ginyu Force as a murderous glint crossed his visage. "I have travelled the darkest corners of the unknown regions of this universe. I have _seen_ worlds and _conquered_ races the likes of which you commoners couldn't possibly comprehend. Entire civilizations have been snuffed out by my hand alone and with every system I've claimed, I've taken a piece of it along with me- whether it be an artifact of immensely powerful magic or a technique to add to my already vast arsenal of abilities."

As Ginyu, Jeice, Recoome, Burter and Guldo gazed towards the man in the throne through a mixture of pained and frustrated faces, the five of them then felt their pupils dilate in fear as they suddenly saw currents of orange lightning begin to dance across the man's body. The sound of snapping and crackling filled the cold air as the bolts of electric fury shot across the platform and began running along the floor, barely missing Kuriza before what looked like an entire wall of static tore across the chamber behind them.

The flashes of power caused the shadows on the floor to stretch over the fallen and wounded members of the Ginyu Squad, all of whom lay trembling and in awe of the lightning storm eradicating off of the seated Lord Slug. But after admiring the light show for several, tense moments, the group then felt a cold chill of horror run down their spines when they saw the shade of black that fell over the hooded man's eyes and the sickly, fang-lined grin he shot towards them.

After several more snaps of lightning tore from his cloaked body, Lord Slug allowed the two energy orbs orbiting him to dissipate as the electric currents dominated the air space around him and began frying the metal surfaces in an awesome display of unbridled rage.

"I have inherited powers beyond what any living creature has ever achieved before… and you think your half-baked, amateurish techniques can work against the likes of me? ME?! The invincible and immortal Lord Slug- the _Master of the Gathering Darkness_ and the future ruler of this cosmos? Well… think again," the man stated, before suddenly and wordlessly throwing his free hand up and forward, which then unleashed a stream of orange lighting towards the Ginyu Force.

The bolts that erupted from his fingers branched out in an instant and struck all five members of the squad simultaneously- enveloping them in a field of divine, electric judgement. As a result, screams of agony and pain the likes of which few had ever experience ripped from the group's mouths as their bodies were sent tumbling up into the air and across the chamber. Propelled by hurricane force winds and the currents of orange energy, the group was unceremoniously slammed into five of the multiple pillars scattered across the hall and pinned to their sides, where Lord Slug proceeded to cook them with blasts of electricity.

Bodies sprawled out as if being crucified against the metal surfaces, the group continued to howl in pain as orange bolts zapped and exploded around them. It was like every single nerve ending throughout their energy body was being pressed against a frying pan, which created the sensation that their skin was being peeled off and their bones and muscles were being torn apart and put back together at high speed. It was pure torture that one could only experience from being hit with thousands upon thousands of volts of enchanted electricity.

As Kuriza watched the sight in horror, Lord Slug cackled out in amusement as he allowed the lightning to continue to spew from the fingers of his left hand. After about a minute, he then stopped the currents, but continued to keep the five Ginyu Force members pinned against their pillars with his telekinesis.

Watching them hang there and simmer for a few more seconds, the warlord then waved his left finger and ripped them from their places, before sending their bodies flying in circles around his chamber at random. Ginyu and his boys cried out in alarm as they were sent tumbling in every possible direction- crisscrossing each other's paths, rolling, spinning, and performing all manner of loops.

Once he got bored of their forced aerial ballet, Lord Slug then had the members begin colliding with one another throughout the throne room at random- over and over again. Each impact was marked by a sharp thump, which quickly became a repetitive and almost continuous sound echoing off of every wall and pillar inside the large dome. Upon making certain the five poor sods had been effectively pummeled and beaten into submission, as indicated by the group's cracked armor plates, bruised bodies and swollen faces, the Namekian then pulled the ragtag group of heroes from the air and brought them down onto the steps of his platform.

When their bodies suspended themselves an inch off of the steps in front of the mighty Lord Slug in a nice, neat row, he then had the group forced into identical kneeling positions, their arms pulled back, and their heads unwillingly yanked up, leaving the Ginyu Force prostrated, helpless, and frozen before the warlord.

Snickering at the blood dripping from the multitude of cuts and openings in the group's faces- and noticing Captain Ginyu himself was looking particularly banged up- Slug then lowered his left hand and pressed a button against the side of his throne.

"All of you look like you're in a bad way. Here… how about we get a little bit of fresh air to clear your heads?" the Namekian said, confusing the commando squad and his young hostage, as they had no idea what he meant by that.

The answer came to them shortly after when, after several loud clanks and clangs reverberated throughout the room, the Ginyu Force and Kuriza saw the ceiling above them slide open- as two massive doors parted to allow not only sunlight to seep in, but a direct way through to the outside world. As the sky slowly became exposed to the group situated in the heart of the citadel, Slug then leant back and, without any effort on his part, took hold of the entire platform they were on with his psychic grip and began to levitate them into the air.

Like an elevator, the entire platform both the two chairs and the Ginyu Force were kneeling on rose up, climbing higher and higher and gathering speed as it approached the opening in the roof. Feeling the cold wind rush through their sore heads and over their battered bodies, the crew of Frieza's elite soon found themselves staring out over the icy landscape of Lord Slug's mobile satellite, as the warlord effortlessly locked the platform of his throne into the open space in the ceiling.

This left every single one of them sitting poised and exposed atop the command center, where all of them were completely open to the elements.

Able to hear the sounds of battle much more clearly in the distance, Lord Slug took a deep breath and sighed as the biting chill of the planet's climate licked at his skin. "Aaah… do you feel that? The blood rushing through your veins? Your hearts pounding in your ears? The sheer helplessness in the face of a true, overwhelming, indomitable force? That's the feeling of real power." He then took another mocking breath through his nose and chuckled. "It's glorious."

Upon watching the man recline in his throne, Recoome spat out a tooth that'd been knocked loose from inside his mouth. "You sick, twisted, evil bastard…" the man remarked in a slightly slurred voice.

"Lord Frieza's… going to make you… suffer for this…" Burter spat out, also looking incredibly dazed from the amount of head shots he'd gotten- as well as lightning volts to the chest cavity.

Completely ignoring the hateful glares he received from the beaten and defeated members of the Ginyu Force, Lord Slug opened his eyes and gripped the arm rests of his throne firmly. "I'd like to see him try. Because after the day is done, your master- as well as his brother- will no longer be able to pose any kind of threat to me. This I have foreseen," the warmonger chirped, before then throwing a smirk down at the kneeling Ginyu Force members and then smiling across at Kuriza. "Of course… they're not the ones I'm really worried about. Not at all. The person that I'm most interested in dethroning is the great King Cold himself- your grandfather and the only creature in the universe who is closest to becoming the next _God of Destruction_."

Kuriza, after staring back into the dark gaze of his captor seated in the golden chair beside him, narrowed his eyes. "Don't kid yourself, creep. My uncle… the one that your army is fighting right now… he's one of the greatest and most powerful warriors to ever be born from our race." When he saw the smile on Lord Slug drop, he pressed on boldly. "My father may not think so… but I know what kind of man my uncle Cooler is. A wise, respected, and great leader, who is going to rain hell down on your kingdom."

The Namekian's eye twitched. "Really?"

The child, sweat breaking out, glared back at him defiantly. "_Really_. He's going to mop the floor with you and your goons. Just watch."

A grin then tugged at Lord Slug's lips. "So it's a wager is it? Very well then," the warlord said, while at the same time getting comfortable and lifting his head conceitedly. "If your uncle is truly as great as you say he is, then let's put the quality of his subordinates to the test. If his elite group of commandoes can defeat my team of generals in combat, then I will step in and face Lord Cooler and his forces in earnest." His smile then darkened under his hood. "But if they fail, I'm going to obliterate his army, smash his fleet, and snap your neck as he watches impotently from the sidelines. Deal?"

Recoiling a little at Lord Slug's wager and seeing his smirk directed squarely on him- telling the young alien that the tyrant meant every word of what he said- Kuriza gave it a quick moment of thought before stiffly nodding his head in return. "Deal."

Grunting in amusement, Slug then turned his gaze back to the platform in front of him and, with a quick nod, split up the frozen Ginyu Force members so that they were kneeling on two sides of the throne directly behind him. Upon which the warlord then rotated then entire platform about on its axis until it was facing the battlefield. As soon as the group was facing the appropriate direction, they were able to watch as the multiple flashes of battle continued raging on in the distance.

As explosions and shockwaves detonated across the mountains and sky- pulverizing both clouds and glaziers- the Namekian warlord propped his cheek back on his knuckles and smiled.

"Let the games begin," Lord Slug, at the same time the defenseless Kuriza and the defeated Ginyu, Jeice, Recoome, Burter and Guldo looked up with baited breath as the forces of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_ and the enemy commanders pressed on with their respective battles.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(In the skies ahead)

"Argh! Fils de pute!" (Son of a whore) Salza cursed out in his favorite alien language as he attempted to hit the asshole of an opponent he was stuck fighting against. Retreating backwards through the air at high speed and altitude, the blonde warrior with the slightly cracked armor thrust both his hands forward and unleashed a string of golden energy blasts that cut across the air in a brilliant display of flashing light beams.

The barrage itself ended up tracking his target with reasonable effectiveness, who could be seen shooting across the mountain ranges in the distance and attempting to avoid his assault. Due to dodging most of his opponent's shots, the pale-skinned, fluffy haired Angila was able to keep ahead of the assault until several of the rounds launched by Salza ended up hitting him and detonating with concussive force.

Hitting him repeatedly, Salza kept on firing until he was sure he'd pounded his opponent enough to score some damage. After letting the barrage end and watching the black cloud of smoke billow outwards in the distance, the Cooler Squadron Captain then saw a trail of the smoke drop out from below as his demon opponent- Angila- fell out of the sky covered in multiple burns and soot. Reacting quickly, Salza cocked back his hand and prepared to lay into him with another hit.

Angila however, not keen on getting hit again, grit his teeth and thrust one of his hands out, which extended towards Salza at high speed and ended up grabbing the man by the throat. The Brench-seijin was so caught off guard by the sudden attack that he was only able to let out a strangled yelp of surprise before he was yanked across the sky, whipped around his opponent, and then unceremoniously thrown across the icy mountains.

Watching his opponent fly after being released, Angila, grinning manically, thrust his own hand forward and fired off several rounds of energy bolts. "Eat this, pretty boy!"

The scattered energy blasts that he fired with a single thrust ended up converging on the airborne Salza as he attempted to right himself. Due to being sent into an uncontrolled spin, the Captain ended up getting clipped by the first shots, before the rest of them battered him with explosions. The resulting balls of fire knocked Salza out of the sky and into the plains below, where he ended up smashing into a snowy hill and dragging the front of his body across the ground for a hundred meters.

After leaving a visible trench in the icy floor and giving a groan of pain as his body simmered with thin wisps of smoke, Angila seized that opportunity and dove towards Salza from up high. Cocking back his left hand, the grinning, debonair warrior in the Greek tunic and boots then swung his arm forward and stretched his arm once again- sending his fist shooting down at the fallen command in an attempt to impale him through the back of the head.

"DIE!" He shouted as he watched his stretching arm arc through the air and shoot towards his target.

Salza, eyes widening when he sensed the approaching danger, sprang onto his hands and cartwheeled out of the way, barely avoiding the fist that slammed into the ground and impaled the ice where his head had been. While he was still dodging, the blonde captain swiftly swung back his right arm, produced a purple energy blade from his hand, and slashed at the demon's embedded arm- cutting it clean from its host.

Eyes widening, Angila let out a scream of pain as he swiftly retracted his stump of a limb and dropped out of the air. He landed at just about the same time Salza did, with both fighters slamming their feet into the ice and assuming their respective, defensive stances.

While the Captain of the Cooler squad breathed calmly through a bleeding lip and burnt body, keeping his sword arm drawn back, Angila gripped his now handless forearm and glared daggers back at his foe. After giving a very pained and angry snarl, the blonde demon in the purple tunic then smirked in amusement.

"Touché, friend. That was a good move. I guess I got a little bit overzealous with that one," Angila chuckled, drawing a noticeable eye twitch from the blonde warrior across from him. As a cold wind cut across the valley they were standing in, the pale, horned fighter then drew back his stricken arm and concentrated. "But just because you managed to score a limb from me doesn't mean this fight is over."

Salsa frowned, "You're not seriously thinking of continuing?" The hum of his blade reached his ear as he positioned his arm in a textbook striking position. "Don't be dumb. If you haven't noticed already, you've taken far more damage than I have. If you surrender now, I can promise you a fair trial from Emperor Cooler."

The look that crossed Angila's eyes was one that would've sent a shiver down an ordinary man's back. "Thanks for the kind offer… but I think I'll pass on it." It was then, after allowing his smile to drop, the man clenched his teeth and growled loudly. A split second later, a sickening squelch sound rang out followed by a splatter of purple blood, the stump that'd previously been Angila's forearm was replaced by a new hand popping out of the cut. The sight of the man regenerating his lost limb had Salza recoil in alarm, as he wasn't expecting his opponent to do that.

"What the-?" The squad captain uttered, watching as Angila casually flicked off the blood from his newly grown limb, before flexing his fingers.

Rolling his wrist, the blonde demon shot Salza a smirk. "Just like you, I have more than a few tricks up my sleeve. As does the rest of my crew." Reaching over his shoulder, the guy then grabbed the shoulder of his tunic and ripped off his top- belt and all. After tossing them aside and leaving himself in only his white, baggy pants and boots, Angila then spread his feet and clenched his fists. "Allow me to show you another one." Concentrating for a second time, the warrior then assumed a horse-riding stance and locked his fists at his sides.

Salza, managing to shake off the astonishment at the man's previous regeneration, then watched in horrified fascination as the demon warrior's body began to vibrate and the wind around him started to churn. With Angila's muscles trembling like an engine and the debris at his feet bouncing along the ground from the tidal forces now emanating from his body, the Captain of the elite squad was then given immediate cause for concern when the green hologram of his scouter jumped over his eye and flashed him an energy level warning.

"Oh… this can't be good," Salza whispered when he too sensed his opponent's energy begin to skyrocket.

A few milliseconds later, after watching the air around the growling Angila shake and swirl, the commando officer then took a cautionary step back when he saw the man's entire body suddenly increase in size and his hair sharply increase in length. The result of his muscles swelling and bulking up all at once caused the ground beneath his feet to crater and the ice plate around them to fracture, as the demonic warrior allowed all of his concentrated ki to rush through his nerves in an instant.

The second his muscles expanded, Angila let out a tremendous battle cry, as a shockwave of power was sent ripping from his center mass to nearly knock Salza off his feet.

The entire transformation took only a real life total of five seconds, but from both warriors' perspectives, the display seemed to have gone on for about a minute. Nevertheless, after the blast of wind from the demon's sonic boom died down and the shaking in the ground finally stopped, Salza now found himself gaping at a newly regenerated, newly transformed Angila who was standing two times taller and larger than before- his bulky, muscular form practically towering a full person over the battlefield.

Letting a deep sigh of relief escape his lips, the now hulking Angila- his horns now enlarged and arcing out of his head like an actual devil's- put on a menacing grin and rolled his freshly engorged shoulders. "I don't know about you… but I'm feeling pretty good about my chances now."

Despite being on the defensive, Salza barely had enough time to utter out the rest of his remark when he suddenly saw Angila's body vanish in a puff of dust. "Definitely not go-OOOF!" The poor captain was cut off when, from out of nowhere, the blonde demon drove an uppercut into his stomach with such force it practically lifted him off the floor and knocked all the air out of his lungs.

The instant he was hit with that lighting fast blow from below, Angila then pressed his advantage and began laying into his opponent with a barrage of hooks and knees. After hammering Salza with a swift combination of attacks, the giant of a demon then grabbed the stunned man by the boot, yanked hm over his shoulder, and slammed him into the icy ground. His ecstatic laughter was drowned out by the loud bangs his attacks generated on every impact- with the air-splitting thunderclap that echoed out from the the smaller fighter's body cratering the valley deafening the battlefield.

As blood flew out of Salza's lips, the only conscious thought he could give as he was picked up a second time was why the heck he didn't cut the man's head off when he had the chance?

OOO

(Meanwhile)

At around the same time Salza was getting his ass kicked two ways from his race's definition of Sunday, the other members of_ Cooler's Armored Squadron_ began facing similar difficulties with their opponents. Though the warriors from both factions were more or less equal in terms of skill and battle power, the moment the warriors of the elite commando unit started to deal damage to their demon foes, every single one of Lord Slug's henchmen decided at that moment to hit their second phase buffs at virtually the same time.

Dore, who was having a blast grappling against the rotund, carapace warrior known as Wings, found out exactly how hard his guy could hit after smacking him around a few times. After shoulder-ramming one another at the same time at the base of an icy mountain, the wide-mouthed, brown reptile of a warrior cracked a smirk and grabbed his opponent by the hem of his chest armor. Before the Beppa-seijin could react, Wings hoisted his body up and tossed him up the side of the mountain at high speed.

Spinning as he flew skywards, Dore quickly righted himself and drove his boots into the side of the glacier to slow his ascent. As his momentum dissipated, the deceptively quick Wings flew up after him and tackled him with a haymaker, a blow which the green warrior managed to parry before retaliating with several punches of his own. After a brief exchange, in which the pair duked it out against the mountain's icy wall like a couple of ninja, Wings then attempted to land a hook on his opponent, the latter of whom managed to swing back, land on his shoulders, and plant both his feet against the fat warrior's gut.

Kicking the winged demon off of the mountain and sending him flying across the sky, Dore then darted after him and caught the burly warrior by the ankles. Seizing that moment, the Beppa-seijin drove two kicks down into Wings's face, hitting him clean a few times in the cheek and jaw, before then spinning downwards and locking his arms around the warrior's body in a bear hug.

"You're done, lard ass!" Dore cried, sending both of them plummeting towards the ground while at the same time putting them into a spin. _**"DORE BOMBER!"**_ The man yelled out, ignoring the horrified scream from Wings as they dropped out of the sky at several times the speed of sound.

Corkscrewing towards the icy valley below and breaking the sound barrier in the process, the Beppa-seijin fell with his opponent, before eventually pile-driving him into the rock hard ground. A loud bang rang out as a cloud of frost gushed into the air, along with a spray of rubble and stones. Though it seemed as though both Dore and Wings had perished in the painful collision, about a split second following the impact, the green, muscle-bound form of the Cooler squadron's most gung-ho member leapt out of the crater and landed comfortably on the floor a few yards away.

Kneeling on the ground, the bruised, yet still fighting fit Dore observed as the wall of frost and snow blocking view of the crash site slowly thinned. As he did, he suddenly saw the faint shadow of his opponent rise up from the ground, lurching from side to side as a series of loud pops and crunches filled the air. Cocking a brow in confusion as he watched the silhouette in the cloud increase in size and change shape, the green warrior then recoiled in shock when he saw the cloud part and his opponent emerge from it.

Only… he wasn't exactly the same as before.

A deep chuckle filled the air as Wings stomped out of the hole in the ground and stood before his kneeling foe. "That was a sweet move. Nearly broke my neck with that one," the burly demon replied, a fang-lined grin visible through his big, wide lips. When he saw Dore blink his way, the newly transformed demon chuckled. "Unfortunately for you, it didn't."

Though the man's personality hadn't changed one bit, his outward appearance certainly had. Not only had Wings's size doubled, but his muscles had also inflated and become more pronounced- giving him a much more bulkier and intimidating appearance. The resulting expansion of his body also expanded the size of his actual wings, to the point that the once diminutive appendages had tripled in width in order to accommodate his newly acquired mass. Furthermore, on top of filling in his armor a lot more than before, the guy's horns had also lengthened to that of a bull's, and the studs dotting his body had grown into protective spines- particularly the four large ones growing from his shoulders.

Apparently the demon had managed to engage his transformation a split second before his impact with the ground- the increased density of his muscles and fat cushioning his impact and saving his life.

Sensing the guy's increased energy signature on top of his altered appearance caused Dore to stand up. "Ah, crap."

Snickering at the shocked look that appeared on his opponent's face, Wings then leaned over and bolted forward- his launch being marked by a blast of dust and ice kicking up behind him. The moment he dashed toward his foe with his head lowered, the transformed demon wound up tackling Dore square in the chest, knocking the big fighter off his feet and sending both of them hurtling into the mountain behind the commando. Without showing any care towards his own well being, Wings charged both of them through the rock face, drilling trough the ice and out the other side in a heartbeat.

His ramming of Dore through the glacier ended up collapsing the entire mountain on top of them- the countryside mound fracturing before cascading into the valley below in a shower of boulders.

Neiz was unfortunately fairing no better than his companion.

After managing to blitz his opponent with his superior speed and score several clean hits on the surprisingly tough little imp, the Zalt-seijin now had to contend with the irritating fact that the alien he was fighting was able to spawn miniature clones of himself. It was ridiculous. When Medamatcha found himself forced into a corner, the frog popped the four little devils out of his back and sent them after the commando to run interference for him.

And that was only half the problem. Not only were these smaller clones more agile than their adult counterpart, making hitting them a major challenge when they scattered, but when Neiz attempted to take them on head-to-head, he realized that the little cretins and their host were capable of absorbing energy. This became apparent when after trying to attack the starting group of four copies, a couple of the frogs latched onto his leg and began siphoning off of his energy. Though the squadron. Member was quick to shake them off by swatting them away, when they returned to their creator and merged back into his shoulders where they came from, Medamatcha ended up gaining a significantly large vitality burst.

The resulting resurgence of energy allowed him to send even more miniature clones after Neiz, the number of which started to grow and grow alarmingly fast as the fight went on.

Darting across the skies and avoiding another swarm of about ten miniature toads attempting to gang up on him, a frustrated Neiz clenched his teeth angrily before thrusting his hands back at the group. "Piss off, you little snots!" He shouted, before unloading a barrage of energy bullets towards the crowd of green amphibians scrambling about in the air.

Giggling cheekily when they saw the angry Zalt fire at them, the crowd of clones promptly scattered, with only a couple of them ending up getting hit by the onslaught of blasts. As Neiz retreated while continuing to fire around him in an attempt to wipe out the insufferable wretches, the tall fighter suddenly spotted Medamatcha hovering in the distance at a lower altitude. Noticing the cocky grin being directed up at him, the brown-skinned fighter gave a snarl of rage before diving towards the original.

"Who do you think you're smirking at, huh?!" Neiz shouted, cranking back his arm as he approached the toad. "I'll show you!" He was determined to make the little imp feel his wrath. However, just when it seemed he was open for a clean shot on the tiny bastard, the elite fighter suddenly saw a half dozen more tiny clones pop out of Medamatcha's chest and fly up at him- cackling manically as they formed a wall in his path. Despite their sudden appearance, Neiz wasn't fazed. "Ha! That little trick won't work on me a second time! I know exactly what your game is, hack!" Swatting them aside with a couple of well-placed chops and punches, the angry Zalt blasted his way through the wave of bodies toward his intended target, before eventually managing to line him up with a haymaker. "HRAAAGH!"

His swift diving attack from above caused a loud splat to ring out as the tall fighter unexpectedly chopped right through the green demon and- for all intents and purposes- cut him in half.

Neiz blinked, "What the-?"

Not expecting for his attack to be so damn effective after the level of nuisance he'd had to deal with up until this point, the commando promptly skidded to a stop midair and wheeled around, only to recoil when he saw the two halves of his opponent floating behind him.

Only… the guy wasn't exactly dead.

"Hehehe… that was a good punch, stretch. But sadly, not good enough…" the left half of Medamatcha giggled as his brutally mangled body slowly turned around to face Neiz, revealing that his entire right side from the neck down had been torn off. However, the hole that was left behind from the chunk the commando had managed to rip out of him wasn't expelling any blood of entrails at all. In fact, the green imp didn't look to be in any kind of pain at all. "Underestimating someone like me… will cost you dearly!"

In that moment, the arm, shoulder, chest and torso of the half- or large portion- that'd been dismembered from the arrogant toad, which continued to float beside him like some phantom, started to twitch, inflate, and pop out multiple tumors from its skin at an alarming speed. These growths, which bubbled and jutted out of Medamatcha's chunk like some freaky, blob-like monstrosity, then began producing dozens of squirming arms, eyes and faces. A split second later, when several mouths also appeared with these extremities, the tumors started cackling and laughing ecstatically at the startled Neiz, with the whole portion the demon had "detached" revealing itself to be another mass of mutant clones of various sizes, all of whom then broke apart from one another and scattered throughout the airspace.

Medamatcha on the other hand, with a careless grunt, regenerated his missing right side and popped out a new arm, which he quickly flexed and shook to get rid of the purple blood covering it. "Aaah… that feels much better." He then shot Neiz a menacing grin. "So… you were saying something about me being a hack?"

The sight of the simultaneous clone production and healing had the stunned Neiz's face twist in disgust, his eyes darting about as the newly spawned copies instantly surrounded his position. "Okay… so you weren't the knock-off, clone-growing twerp I thought you were. You were actually the off-shoot type of opponent." He clicked his tongue irritably. "The most annoying type out there. And I thought my abilities were freaky."

"Knock-off?" the real Medamatcha cackled as his now three dozen clones giggled simultaneously at Neiz's comment. "You fool. Thanks to our boss unlocking our potential, our abilities have evolved beyond what they originally were." Raising his arms, the little demon then mass-produced a dozen more tumors from his neck, all of which grew on top of one another in a very surreal and disgusting manner, until an array of multi-sized, conjoined clones were now scrambling around the original's body. "Thanks to my inherent trait of being able to produce miniature copies of myself, my skill has developed to the point where I can split off any portion of myself to create any number of duplicates. It's the perfect defensive strategy." He then extended a clawed hand and jabbed a finger towards Neiz. "Cut, slice and tear me apart all you want. You can even smash, hit, and twist me. But I'll keep on multiplying."

Neiz, after snarling at the swarm of toads now surrounding him, then threw up his fists and barked. "Let's test that!"

Smirk widening into a more menacing leer, Medamatcha then waved his hand back and swiftly threw it forward. "Suck him dry, boys!" The moment he shouted his order, the swarm of clones gave out a unified battle cry as they all charged in at Neiz, swamping him from every direction possible.

At first blasting a couple of the approaching gremlins with several ki attacks, Neiz was then forced to start taking them on in hand to hand. In a blur of movement, the Zalt managed to knock and smash away several of the tiny imps with multiple well-placed hits- many of which managed to ward off groups of the charging cretins. But in a matter of seconds, the commando was soon overwhelmed by the sheer number of adversaries, in which he then found himself being dog-piled by dozens off the little frogs diving in and latching onto him at once.

With Medamatcha sending out even more copies from the growths in his arms and shoulders to join the fray, all the little demon had to do was sit back and enjoy the show, while his little storehouse of clones did his job for him.

Needless to say, things weren't looking too hot for Neiz at that moment, as the tall alien elite quickly found himself becoming the hive for a swarm of demonic, reptilian bees looking to siphon off of his battle power for all he was worth.

A similar air of difficulty could be used to describe Myra's situation who, after managing to impale Commander Zeeun with several ki arrows and spears from her arsenal, was now being pressured by the ruthless demon when he underwent a Gigantification transformation as well.

There were some differences however. Not only did Zeeun's body grow and bulk up to an incredibly frightening level, but the demonic leader with bushy red hair had also managed to produce multiple defensive, carapace plates all over the surface of his body. This allowed the commander of Lord Slug's forces, who had previously been soaking up the Hera-seijin's piercing and pressure-point strikes, to be able to walk through the woman's attacks without any difficulties whatsoever. It as like he'd encased himself in a suit of armor, only this one was forged out of his own bone and cartilage to create a veritable, natural defense against his foe's energy attacks. So while his overall visage remained unchanged, the inflated muscles, elongated horns and hair, and the orange-brown plates covering his bare skin, made Zeeun look the part of a true demon general.

On top of this, the guy also received a massive power boost, which was now proving to be an incredible bane for Myra's existence, who was now struggling to hold back the tank of a man as he barreled towards her with the intent of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Bleeding from the corner of her mouth and sporting multiple bruises, a desperate Myra spun the red energy staff she'd created around her body before swinging it out at the demon charging at her across the sky. A loud bang rang out when she made impact, but instead of managing to strike Zeeun in a vulnerable area, the now armor-clad demon in gladiator spats managed to catch her bo staff with his bare right hand, before promptly shattering it with a swift palm strike from his other hand.

Startled when she saw Zeeun smash her energy staff, Myra barely had enough time to swing her arms up over her face to block the vicious punch the man nailed her with immediately afterwards. The shockwave generated by the orange, armored warrior's fist sent her plummeting out of the sky, an opportunity that the red-haired demon with the now enlarged horns quickly seized and gave pursuit.

Shooting down after his opponent, the commander easily caught up with the falling Hera, upon which he then proceeded to lay into her with yet another storm of punches. His blows rattled her guard and drove repeatedly into her torso, pummeling her over and over as he effectively pushed her out of the air and towards the ground.

"Hahaha! What's wrong, girlie?! Am I too much for you now?! Can't take the heat?" Zeeun laughed, cocking back his fist and smashing into her guard again, causing her entire body to lurch back and drawing a cry of pain from her. "Ha! Your attacks are useless against me! Now that I'm like this, there's no way a puny little weakling like you could ever hope to beat me!"

Quickly taking offense to this, Myra, peering over her arms and baring her teeth, gave out an angry shout as she thrust her hand back and produced a beam of energy, which she promptly grabbed. The instant the thin spear manifested in her grip, she then lunged forward and aimed to stab her opponent in the eye. However, the second she swung in with her counter in an attempt to nail her foe, her spear ended up grazing the man's armored cheek when he moved his head to the side at the last second and slipped her attack. This allowed the grinning Zeeun to dart in and swing his arm over her extended one in a textbook jolt counter.

"NICE TRY!" The demon shouted, ignoring Myra's stunned gasp as his enormous hand grabbed her by the face and effectively yanked her out of the sky.

Dropping like a stone towards the icy ground, Zeeun booming laughter filled the air as he drew back the arm he was holding Myra with, before effectively slamming her into the valley below and punching an enormous crater into the landscape. The explosion of ice and fruit that occurred gushed into the sky like a geyser, and also sent a wall of wind rippling across the frozen land, pulverizing multiple glaciers and hillsides for miles. Any ordering opponent to be subjected to such a devastating blow would've easily found themselves crushed into nothingness due to the force exerted by the demon commander.

However, as the cloud of frost parted from the bottom of the hundred foot wide crater formed by Zeeun's impact with the planet, it revealed the armored, red-haired demon kneeling over a still miraculously alive Myra, who could be seen clawing away at his wrist as he continued to shove her head into the cold earth.

Grunting as he put more weight down on top of the Hera-seijin in an attempt to crush her head, the transformed Zeeun snickered when he saw her hands once again paw uselessly at his wrist- grabbing it to try and tear him off of her. But no matter how hard she tried, the man wouldn't budge, and he didn't plan to. "Hehe… that's right. Struggle all you want. It's over. You may be tough… but I'm on a whole other level of power." When he saw her hands move to his fingers and grab them, her body writhing beneath his palm in desperation, the red-haired fighter sneered. "Unless you have a hidden ace up you sleeve, you may as well tap out now!"

It was then, after several tense moments of struggling in which every breath seemed like it was going to be her last, the writhing Myra then stopped- and the one eye she had visible through Zeeun's fingers narrowed up at the grinning demon commander. "Actually… I do," the woman mumbled through the man's palm, causing the armored demon to blink.

All of a sudden, after Myra's hand reached down to grab Zeeun's thumb that was crushing her cheek, a green mist suddenly started to waft off of her. Seconds later, the steam rushing from her skin exploded from her in an inferno, her muscles bulking up sharply and her skin tone flashing a pale green. The instant this happened, a yell of rage rushed out of her throat and with a sudden burst of strength, she snapped back Zeeuns's thumb with a loud _**crack**_.

The demon commander let out a howl of pain and leapt back as fast as he could, moving just in time to avoid the ground exploding around Myra. Landing at the edge of the collapsing ground clutching his hand, Zeeun stared across the open fissure in shock as a dense cloud of frost swirled around its centre. When a blast of hot air tore across the valley, it parted the wall of snow to reveal Myra floating above the crater, bathed in the glow of a brand new form the demon wasn't expecting from her.

Her build- once slender, curvy and athletic- had bulked up to that of an Amazonian or a wrestler in the prime of her career. Her skin- once fair, blue, and befitting the natural color of her people- had lit up and taken on a light green tone. And her hair- one short and spiky orange- had lengthened and taken on a reddish blend. All of these aspects came together into a form that was surrounded by a bright green aura, which beat at the air like a maelstrom, while the woman herself wiped the dirt from her cheek and spat the blood from her mouth.

After making sure her body was still in fine condition, the sole female member of Cooler's Armored Squadron set her sights on the stunned Zeeun. "If you thought I was just going to roll over and die from a beating like that, think again creep. I've taken far more punishment than what your chunky ass is currently dishing out, so don't expect to get an easy win over _this_ girl."

Zeeun blinked as he looked the glowing woman over as her hair flapped on the wind. "W-What the fuck? Where the hell did _this_ come from?"

"Oh? Didn't I tell you?" Myra asked coyly, before a cocky smile tugged at her lips. "Sorry. Must've slipped my mind while you were going full ham and trying to bury me under the ice a few seconds ago." She then shrugged casually. "Since our team's youngest member managed to tap into a higher level of power during one of our previous missions, the rest of the gang and I figured that we'd follow his example and do the same. So, after months of training and helping each other out, the four of us finally crossed the bridge and achieved different evolutionary forms." She then casually lifted up a hand and clenched it into a fist, which caused her aura to burst outwards sharply as her ki jumped. "While my compatriots found their own paths to unlocking their true potential, my transformation is a bit more unique. This heightened state of physical and mental awareness, multiplied by a dramatic increase in ki output, is what my people call _Galad's Gwedh… _or known better in the common tongue as our race's _**Super Hera**_ form."

"Super… Hera?" Zeeun repeated, before biting his teeth together tightly as he straightened up- all the while flexing his thumb and getting feeling back into it. "Why the heck didn't you use this earlier in the fight? Why did you let me beat the heck out of you for the last few minutes instead of stopping me?"

Myra grunted as she glared back at the demon as he righted himself. "A combination of pride and stupidity, I guess. I thought that I could bring you down the conventional way by fighting tactically, instead of burning through a huge chunk of energy going through this transformation and overwhelming you with brute force. Taking on a more strategic approach has always been our group's strongest point after all. Sadly, the power difference between my base and your current state is too massive… so I decided to bite the bullet and go for it." She then looked down at her hands and winced a little. "Also, I don't like how this form changes my appearance. Ugh… I'm starting to look more and more like Dore."

After watching the woman check out her ass and hips, Zeeun pondered for a moment before smirking broadly. When he saw the woman glare back at him, the commander laughed. "Heh. I guess I was wrong. It seems you got a lot more guts than I gave you credit for." Cracking his neck by flexing his head to the side and then rolling his shoulders, the bulky, armored demon then leered at her. "Since you managed to buff yourself up, you and I can finally have a good, honest brawl with one another." Setting his feet apart, the warrior then swung his arms about and set himself into a new stance- one where his fingers were clawed and his canines were bared. "No more games. I'm going to start fighting for real now."

Smirking at the man's remark, Myra also raised her fists and prepared herself- watching as her opponent's orange aura erupted around him with a blast of wind. "It's about damn time." However, instead of taking a conventional stance, she swung her arms straight up and, in a flash of light, produced a red beam of energy between her hands. The beam hardening into a staff of glowing red light, the adolescent then spun the pillar around her in several elaborate spins- before then aiming the tip towards her opponent and taking a lunging stance.

The energy weapon she wound up producing this time turned out to be a halberd, one with an axe-shaped head with a spear tip. The instant her weapon's end flashed, Myra was ready.

Without needing anymore time to prepare, both fighters then bolted towards one another and swung in with simultaneous attacks. However, the moment they came within reach of their opponent, the pair's bodies suddenly shimmered before vanishing at the same time in a puff of frost. The instant they disappeared, multiple shockwaves and sonic booms began going off across the sky- parting clouds and breaking the tops off of nearby mountains, signifying that the duo had begun duking it out at speeds several times faster than before.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

At around this time, Salza was getting his own ass woken up. After attempting several times to evade his beefed up opponent and failing, the blonde warrior then tried retreating to a higher altitude. That was until Angila, using his extendable arms, threw one hand after the Captain, snared his ankle, then yanked him out of the sky and tossed him towards the ground.

The instant the blue-skinned officer impacted the ground and punched a crater into the icy valley's surface, the strongest member of the demon commanders decided to finish him off in spectacular fashion. Throwing his head back, Angila concentrated his ki into his lungs, before then thrusting his head forward and unleashing a mouth energy blast down at the crater his adversary had crashed into. The torrent of golden energy erupted from his jaws and tore towards the planet, where the wounded Salza could be seen sprawled out in the centre of his hole, gaping at the blinding light set to end his life in a brilliant flash.

The explosion that followed ruptured the cold planet's surface and sent golden cracks shooting across the valley. As flames and rubble gushed into the sky like a geyser, Angila thought for sure that he'd killed his foe and smirked- floating in place as he watched the ground melt around the spot he'd launched his final, decisive attack.

"Well, that's the end of that guy," he quipped in his usual, cocky tone. But then, just when he was starting to feel comfortable about his assured victory, his smile vanished.

As the geyser of flames dissipated from a sudden gust of wind that tore out from the center of the calamity, all of the smoke parted to reveal his opponent standing in the middle of the crater. However, while Angila was expecting to see Salza completely roasted and battered from the damage he'd sustained, the leader of Cooler's elite stood there appearing perfectly fine. In fact, aside from a few scuffs, bruises, and a bleeding lip, the man appeared completely reinvigorated- and with good reason.

Salza, through quick thinking and intense concentration, had managed to trigger his own transformation just before Angila's blast enveloped him. This, coupled with the endurance buff he received through the power up, allowed him to shrug off the brunt of the man's killing move while simultaneously save him from getting knocked out of the fight. The transformation Salza had undergone completely reshaped Salza's outward appearance, not only making him grow a foot higher than Zarbon, but Salza's muscles had also expanded to fill in his suit. This gave him a much more imposing, warrior's look befitting of his role as captain. But the most striking change came from his blonde hair, which seemed to have grown out and down the back of his body, giving him a majestic mane of long, loosely flowing pale gold locks.

It was an incredibly flamboyant yet majestic look, transforming the once short-in-stature pretty boy, into a heavyweight hunk.

Angila was baffled by the man's newly acquired look, which had the handsome demon shake his head a couple of times to see if he wasn't hallucinating. "What the hell?"

A grin tugged at Salza's lips. "You're not the only one with tricks up his sleeve, you regenerating prick."

Flinching a little at the new level of power he could feel coming off of his opponent, Angila snarled. "Why you little…? You can increase your strength by altering the structure of your body too?"

Salza, sticking his nose in the air and brushing back his newly grown mane of sparkling locks, huffed in a cocky manner. "_Bien sur, Monsieur_. Although, judging from our respective appearances, I think I'm pulling off this transformation a lot better than you are." Rolling his shoulder and cracking his now significantly thickened neck, the Gigantified Captain of the Armored Squadron then flexed a hand out and balled it into a fist. "So… now that you've had a good time kicking me around for the last few minutes, I think it's about time the new _**Glamorous Salza**_ showed you what he can do!_ Se battre_!"

The instant Salza crouched down, a shockwave reverberated off his body that sent a blast of wind shooting behind him. When his energy spiked, he then launched himself from the ground with such force he imploded the crater he was standing in even further, creating a sinkhole in the ice where he'd been standing. The speed he flew up towards Angila with took the blonde, topless demon completely by surprise, who barely had enough time to cross his arms over before he was hit full on by a super man punch thrown by the now transformed Salza.

The hit sent the demon commander barreling into the sky, with the Armored Squadron Officer promptly giving chase.

At around the same time, back over at the spot where Medamatcha was enjoying the show of his army of clones dog-piling Neiz, the little toad of a demon was just about thinking he'd callback his little minions. A snicker left his lips as he raised his hand in preparation for the signal. However, the moment the diminutive imp raised his hand, a spark of purple from the writhing mass of clones in front of him caused him to stop short and frown.

"Huh? What was that?" The green frog of a man asked out loud.

Watching the crowd of clones continue to writhe and clamor, Medamatcha lowered his hand slowly. Seconds later, a blinding flash of pink light followed by a deafening thunderclap instantaneously incinerated most of his clones and sent a shockwave slamming into the little demon. With a scream of alarm the tiny demon was sent tumbling feet over head through the air for several dozen yards. After rolling however many number of times he did, Medamatcha used a quick burst of ki to stop himself. When he looked back over to where his clones had previously been amassed, his yellow eyes bugged out.

Floating amongst a cloud of ash that was previously his platoon of copies, Neiz was currently suspended in the air bathed in an aura of purple lightning. Unlike his normal aura, this one was crackling off of him constantly, and in casing his entire body in a purplish hue. While his slightly swollen muscles were quite a sight to behold on his normally tall and lanky body, it was the fact that his yellow eyes were glowing purple and had currents of electricity shooting out of them that was the most striking aspect about his person.

To accompany this, the clouds in the sky above the dueling pair also started to resonate- bolts of blue lightning dancing across the sky in time with the bolts shooting off of Neiz. Medamatcha spotted this immediately and gaped at the sky above, flinching when he saw a blue bolt whip down from the nebulous to strike Neiz's aura clad form. This jolt of reinforced electricity seemed to intensify the storm already raging off of the Zalt-seijin's body, who upon inspecting his fists and arms then turned his glare on the multiplying Medamatcha and the gathering of surviving, energy-draining clones behind him.

"I bet you had quite a gas watching me get gang-banged by your personal army of frog spawn, huh, twerp? Do you want to try that again?" Neiz asked, his voice humming with an almost robotic echo thanks to the electricity coursing through every fibre in his being. "I doubt your little crowd of cannon-fodder doppelgängers are going to have the same amount of success draining me a second time." He added to this by swinging a fist forward and slamming it into his palm- the result sending a lightning bolt shooting skywards and downwards at the same time from his person. When his purple lightning bolt struck the ground, it caused an explosion that decimated the hill and sent ice shooting everywhere.

Medamatcha, his face twisting irritably, quickly recalled his surviving clones and merged them back into his body. Thanks to the energy they stole from Neiz earlier, the frog felt a surge of ki rush through hiss body and amplify his own, the resulting mixture causing his body to bulk up slightly and the spines he had growing from his back to lengthen. Growling as his flesh expanded and stretched with a few sickening pops and groans, the little imp then let out a sinister chuckle as he produced a new group clones from his chest, all of which cackled as they came crawling back out into the open.

"This game has gotten a lot more interesting," Medamatcha chuckled as his miniature duplicates popped off of his flesh and began floating through the air before the unamused Neiz. Crossing his arms over his chest, the now rabid looking frog snarled across at the lightning imbued warrior. "Alright then, lurch! Let's see what you've got! KYAHAHAHA!" With a boisterous laugh, the tiny warrior shot into the air and spun around, throwing a cluster of tiny balls from his body that expanded on flight and instantaneously transformed into more copies.

As the sky filled with clones, the miniature Medamatchas all laughed joyously as they flew towards the crackling Neiz, hands held out as they unleashed a storm of golden energy bolts towards him. The rain of attacks came in from seemingly every angle from the warrior's front, converging on his position and threatening to obliterate him in a hail of blaster fire.

However, thanks to the electricity from his newly acquired _**Super Raiken**_ (Super Lightning Fist) technique coursing through his body and amplifying his senses, Neiz saw the blasts coming at him in literal slow motion. Smirking when he saw the gaps in the attacks clearly laid out in his path, the Zalt-seijin leaned in before bolting forward. With a clap thunder, his form darted through the hail of miniature energy blasts, before cutting through a swath of the clones- incinerating them in a flash before their attacks even had a chance of touching him.

His form practically bouncing between each clone he could reach in the form of a purple stream of unbroken energy, the man then changed directions mid attack and shot towards Medamatcha, who recoiled in alarm when he saw the literal lightning spear rocketing at him. With barely a fraction of a second to react, the toad leapt out of the way in time to avoid being tackled by Neiz as he blitzed past him, a loud hiss echoing out as the toad demon had his entire left arm vaporized by the man's punch catching him in the shoulder.

While Neiz skidded to a stop several dozen yards away and looked over his shoulder, he saw Medamatcha blink at his missing limb and the burnt stump that was left behind. After a second of processing, frog let out a snicker and then a laugh, his round yellow eyes darting towards the ludicrously fast Armored Squadron member with a murderous glint.

"My, my, my. I never expected you to have quite this much pep, lurch. Considering how much more difficult you're making this, I guess we should skip the second and third rounds and go straight for the finals! HA-HAAAAAAA!" With a bellow of rage, the frog regenerated his missing arm and immediately began expanding that part of his body at a ludicrous speed- the entire airspace to his right disappearing from his leg and arm eclipsing the skywatcher it stretched out from several meters to a full hundred in less than a second.

His other limbs and appendages bulking and swelling to gargantuan proportions that seemed physically impossible for a creature of his size, Medamatcha then began spitting out miniature clones of himself en masse, sending the army of demons flying towards Neiz in an attempt to overwhelm him with sheer numbers.

Aura crackling around him loudly, Neiz frowned when he saw his mutant of a foe take his cloning and body shifting to a whole new level, prompting him to spin about and assume a defensive stance. The second he did and saw the army of doppelgängers descend upon him while unleashing a storm of energy blasts, the electrically charged warrior then gave a grunt before vanishing with another thunderclap. The result was another flash of an explosion taking place as another mass of copies was effectively annihilated by his attack.

Despite the losses however, Medamatcha just kept on adding to is numbers- his clones multiplying as he sent them all after his opponent as he kept darting between groups of his copies and taking them out in a dazzling display of super charged attacks.

As all this was going on above, down below the chaos unfolding, Dore was just in the process of getting his beefy butt slammed into a mountainside. His impact with the icy wall causing a shockwave to reverberate through it, the green warrior barely had enough time to put his arms up as Wings- dwarfing him in both size and speed- rammed into the stricken wrestler with a haymaker.

His knuckles crashing into the warrior's guard with terrifying force, the beefy, winged warrior then began driving into him with a steady and unrelenting stream of punches. Each blow he landed hit with incredible momentum and determination, the deafening bangs each impact gave out shaking the mountain behind Dore and slowly, but surely, burying him into its side. With the warrior unable to do anything except stand there and take the assault as his defenders slowly wavered, Wings, sensing his victory fast approaching, allowed a bout of uproarious laughs to leave his lips as he began increasing the speed of his blows.

"Ora! Ora! Ora! HAHAHAHA!" the chunky demon warrior laughed as he wound up each blow to slam into Dore's head- hearing the man grunt and shout in pain. "This is it, you loser! GAME OVER!" Then, drawing back his fist one last time, the fighter with the massive arms then gave one last roar and drove his fist forward for the finishing blow.

However, the moment he thought his punch was going to connect, Wings felt his punch stop midway when, out of nowhere, Dore's hand flew up and caught it. The sudden catch causing the demon general to recoil in alarm, the man then tensed up and attempted to push his fist forward. It was while he was doing so he saw his opponent glare up at him from under the rim of his helmet. When their eyes met, Wings saw the Beppa-seijin- through a stream of blood trickling down from his forehead- flash him a cocky grin.

"Think again, fatso!" Dore growled, a moment before his expression intensified and a second, longer snarl hissed out his teeth. His low octaves quickly transforming into a roar, the man slowly forced back Wings's massive fist, a split second before his muscles swelled and his limbs grew at a frighteningly fast pace.

The sight of his opponent's gloved hand growing to the point it was able to grip hold of his entire fist startling the transformed Wings, the demon officer then watched as the rest of Dore's body bulked up and enlarged as well. In a display that would make Garlic Jr. blush with envy, the green alien with the long mane of jet black hair let out a howl of rage as he pushed himself out of the crater he'd formed in the mountainside and forced Wings back with raw, brute strength.

A brief battle for dominance than occurred between the two warriors, one that last for about five seconds. And it was within that same amount of time that Dore was able to complete his transformation, the now bulked up, gigantified warrior- standing half a torso taller than he did before with a massive, hulking frame that stretched his trunks and armor to the point of bursting, the Beppa-seijin threw a smirk at the stunned Wings, before bringing up his foot and slamming it into the demon's torso.

His blow cracking the front of the burly man's chest armor, Wings was sent flying back across the icy field before skidding to a stop several yards away. When the demon general glared back, he saw the hulking, roided form of a Gigantified Dore stomp out into the open, his muscles pulsing with multiple veins as he swung his arms about and took up a textbook boxing stance.

With his evolution complete, the Armored Squadron brawler grinned across at the startled Wings. "Alright, you overgrown bat! Round two!" An ear splitting crack ringing out as his forward foot plunged into the ice, Dore then blasted forward and charged across the valley at blinding speed.

Letting out a growl of his own as he saw the green warrior barreling towards him like a jet, Wings spread his legs and slapped his thighs hard. His own muscles swelling as he took on a very sumo-wrestling like stance, the man swung his arms out and roared. "BRING IT OOOON!" The moment he let that shout loose, he then stomped forward and caught Dore flush in the chest- their impact with one another causing a loud boom to deafen the battlefield and the hillside they were on to implode.

Both Dore and Wings roared as they pushed into one another with all they had- the Beppa-seijin ramming into the demon with his head while the commander wrapped his arms around him from above and attempted to stop him. The awkward angle of course meant that the burly demon officer was pushed off his feet and sent hurtling back, with Dore indiscriminately driving his gargantuan foe straight into another glacier and pulverizing it under the weight of their raw power.

All at once, the battles between the elite warriors of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_ and the generals of_ Lord Slug's Empire_ had entered its final, decisive leg.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

As the battles between the men were currently tearing up most of the Eastern Hemisphere of the mobile planetoid, over on the western plains the armies of both opposing factions were still going at it, with Cooler's army slowly dominating the defenders with every bit of ground they were able to cover.

As blaster fire continued to crisscross the space between the two warring groups, setting off multiple explosions and flashes one after the other along both front lines, the officers commanding Cooler's faction then ordered their men to advance. Like a well-oiled machine, the troopers spearheading the assault did as instructed and quickly rushed across the icy valley as the divisions positioned in the rear laid down cover fire for them. Their tanks, artillery, and heavy troopers unleashed hell on the enemy forces ahead, the sky once again becoming filled by golden flashes of light, which arced over the advancing soldiers to land on their assigned targets.

After a wall of fire balls went off all along Lord Slug's line, wiping out several dozen of his men, the demon soldiers entrenching themselves atop the icy ridge and taking cover behind boulders quickly retaliated, and unloaded everything they had on the approaching enemy in an attempt to drive them back.

The few men and women on Cooler's faction that got caught up in the incoming fire were decisively knocked out of the fight, with the hail of relentless blaster bolts prompting the rest of their comrades to duck and cover. Quickly diving behind the nearest boulders they could see- including the skeletons of a couple of destroyed tanks- the soldiers leading the advance stopped for a moment to catch their breath.

One of the lieutenants at the front of the carnage, noticing a couple of his fallen comrades on the field behind him were still alive but in a bad way, quickly waved a hand toward one of the squads to his right. "Medic! Medic! Get the hell out there and help them! All troops, covering fire!" When his shout reached the ears of the men and women, leading to all the squads opening up along the line, the alien in charge gritted his teeth and attempted to peer around his cover to assess the situation. Only to then duck back in when a couple more blaster shots going off next to his head kept him from getting a good look. "Shit! We're stuck!"

As the quick on his feet medic quickly dragged the two soldiers nearest to him to safety, the soldiers trapped behind the lieutenant's rock who were unable to fire back at the enemy clamored nervously.

"They're dug in like ticks, sir!" The sergeant beside the lieutenant shouted after getting a good bead on the defensive line in front of them. When a mortar round from the enemy went off near them and sent a blast of frost and ice cascading on top of them, the worried NCO barked at his commanding officer. "Should I call in an air strike?!"

"Do it!" the lieutenant shouted back while swinging his arm overhead and directing the others. "All squads, concentrate fire on that ridge! Don't let them overwhelm us!"

Above the sounds of rapid gunfire and explosions, the chaos of the front intensified. After covering so much ground, the forces of Cooler's Army were at best a couple miles shy from achieving their objective. The citadel itself was sitting well in sight now and all they had left to do was to push through these last lines of defense. It was only a matter of time before the last fires of resistance were snuffed out and they were upon the enemy's headquarters.

The officers of the Seventh Fleet knew that as soon as they had the place surrounded and locked down, victory was assured for them.

But before that, they had to get through the last of Lord Slug's army, who were apparently doing everything they could in their capabilities to stop them. It was almost like they were being pushed into fighting on by some other worldly power, giving them the strength and bravery to stand against them.

As the lieutenant watched his sergeant call into the radio for support, the alien in the marked bronze RIT armor braced his wrist gauntlet to him and checked the ammunition count. However, just as he was checking the display, he then caught sight of a flash coming from the rear line, before suddenly seeing there trails of blue fire dart across the valley towards them. At first not knowing what that was, he and the rest of his men then watched three silhouettes of three animals blaze past them and towards the ridge.

The lieutenants jaw dropped when he saw the three lines of fire duck and weave through the hail of blasters coming down on them, before then jumping right into the trenches where Lord Slug's forces were. After three simultaneous explosions tore up the hill, Cooler's Forces then watched the three blazing figures dart out of the geysers and begin fighting their way through the soldiers.

Screams of terror from the defending Slug forces called out, as the three tiny figures of Kida, Rico and Rei revealed themselves once more and began cleaning up the defending forces. The trio of fox girls, their fists glowing with blue flames, carved through the squads of enemy troops suppressing their troops and cut them down one after the other.

The lieutenant commanding that portion of the front, upon seeing aid come to them, grinned broadly and stood up- the enemy fire having been lifted. "Come on, first platoon! Let's give them a hand!" He called out, waving his wrist rifle before then charging up the slope towards the ridge.

All at once, the squads fighting on their portion of the front gave a cheer and leapt out from behind their cover, sprinting up the hill while opening fire on the confused Slug troops. Their storm of blasts overwhelmed the defenders and quickly made short work of the gun emplacements shooting down at them, allowing the division to advance quickly and reach the trench line. In a matter of seconds, the troops of Cooler's forces were leaping across the enemy line and engaging the demon army in close quarters.

Together, with the three kitsune, the platoons of the invading force began thinning out the defenders on the valley, the screams and explosions of battle filling the air and drowning out all other areas of the front.

As a bulge was driven into the Slug Empire's front, with more and more troops spilling in to try and fix the wound, the pace of the battle looked as though it was finally decided. However, while all of this was going on, the troops fighting were so caught up that they failed to notice the fireball flying towards them from up high.

Sonic booms ringing out as the meteor from above plummeted towards another portion of the front, the armies of both Cooler and Lord Slug were unable to respond in time when the comet literally crash landed right in the center of their battle- right in the heart of the crossfire. The shockwave from the impact sent a tidal wave of frost and dust rippling over the attacking forces, knocking men and women of both sides off their feet and tumbling across the ground.

When the cloud quickly settled around the crash site and the fighting in the area momentarily stopped, the soldiers of the two factions quickly saw who exactly was responsible for dropping in on their party. Sparks flying, the meteorite revealed itself to be Myra and her opponent Commander Zeeun, both of whom were locked in combat with one another, and duking it out with their respective weapons of choice. While the red headed Hera-seijin had a beam sword forged from her energy and held in her grip, the head officer of Lord Slug's armies was battering her with his armored fists- his knuckles and forearms slamming against her blade as he struck out at her with a vicious onslaught of blows.

Spinning her weapon between her hands, switching grips frequently as she slowly backed up, Myra grunted loudly as she blocked and parried with blows from her taller foe. After another cloud of sparks flashed off of her blade from Zeeun's knuckles smashing off of it, the woman performed a cartwheel to evade the haymaker he thrust down at her and buried into the ground. When a loud bang rang out from his fist missing its mark, the Commander gave a shout of rage and pursued her, unleashing another string of punches, only to then block with his forearms when Myra returned fire with a vicious array of slashes.

Retaliating with several graceful sword strikes, the Super Hera huffed angrily as she expertly switched grips with her blade when it bounced off of her opponent's forearm, and quickly struck at him from the other side. When he blocked, she then spun in and delivered a side kick into his exposed torso, her heel slamming into his abdominals and knocking him back with a sharp thump. Zeeun flew back and skidded across the ground to a stop, letting out a puff of air as he glared back at his foe.

"Damn you!" He shouted, thrusting a finger forward and unleashing a string of energy beams at her, as if he were firing a pistol. "Take this!" The blue bolts shot towards her like light bullets, the first couple missing when Myra dodged them.

Responding quickly to the remaining barrage, the Super Hera swung her beam sword up and smacked away the following shots with several quick swings of her wrist, deflecting them away and sending them into the crowd of Lord Slug's forces watching from the sidelines. When a couple of explosions went off, screams accompanied them, as several of the enemy troops ended up getting caught up in the blasts.

Seeing his opponent block his beams, Commander Zeeun snarled before straightening up high, opening his mouth, and unleashing a blast of blue flames from his throat. The torrent of flames left his mouth in a wall and rolled towards Myra in a wave of certain death, causing the woman's eyes to widen as she dispelled her sword and quickly formed a red shield. When she crouched down behind it, the flames crashed into her barrier and split, roaring past her and into her troops behind her.

The Cooler forces taking cover in the background all screamed in terror when the two pillars of flames ended up washing over them, catching two groups in the tsunami and engulfing them in an inferno. When Myra noticed her allies get hit, the woman snarled and cocked back her free hand while her arm continued to hold the shield protecting her.

"BASTARD!" She shouted, standing up, dispelling her shield, and firing a red blast into the wall of flames. Her beam cut through the blue inferno and rocketed towards Zeeun, who quickly cut off the feed to his fireball and swung his shoulder forward. He rammed into the beam that Myra fired at him, a loud clang ringing out as it effectively bounced off of his shoulder plating and shot off into the distance.

After parrying her beam, Zeeun then charged forward, his feet stomping across the ground while he gave out a war cry.

Myra, gritting her teeth at her foe's persistence, sprang out of the way as the demon commander leapt at her and drove his foot into the earth where she'd been standing, sending a blast of ice into the air while she landed safely to the side and out of reach. The instant the Hera crouched and watched the demon's body become shrouded by a cloud of frost and dust, she quickly fanned her fingers out and produced several small, red energy blades in the form of ki kunai. Once the sharp weapons appeared between her knuckles, she flung them into the wall of fog.

The second Zeeun stood up, he got hit by the barrage of energy knives, most of them bouncing off of his armor, while two of them embedded in one of the spaces between his shoulder plating- impaling him with a loud squelch. Shouting in pain, the man staggered back and gripped the area he'd been hit, giving Myra the opening to rush forward and leap at him. Before he could respond with an appropriate counter, the Super Hera rammed into Zeeun's chest with both her feet and slammed him into the ground, causing another shockwave to rupture the ice as she dropped him. The second he was down, Myra produced a second beam sword in her hand and thrust down at him in a stabbing motion.

Zeeun, reacting quickly, caught the blade with one of his large hands and held it in place- growling furiously as he glared up at the woman bearing down on him with murderous intent. Both opponents then found themselves locked in a standstill- both of them fighting to slay the other and snarling as they put all the muscle they could summon into either trying to impale or throw the other off..

In the midst of all of this and as the two armies surrounding the battling commanders proceeded to open fire on one another yet again, another pair of warriors decided to make their grand reappearance to the stage. From the clouds high above, a series of rapid fire shockwaves and sonic booms screamed over the heads of the platoons, instinctively prompting many of the soldiers to duck and cover. The blasts of wind shaking the ground as a result, both Myra and Zeeun stopped for a moment to watch as Gohan and Lucoa blasted over them, both locked in a heated, high-speed engagement as the duo lashed out at one another with a flurry of blows. As they flew off into the distance and over the valleys, the pair continued to trade punches and kicks in a blur, rattling the battlefield from the very force they were exerting from each impact.

Through the storm of blows the pair traded with one another while moving through the sky in whatever direction the conflict took them, it was clear to see that the two young warriors had received quite a beating. Battered, bruised, and bleeding from multiple wounds already present on them, there was very little doubt that the pair had spent the better part of the last half hour going to town on one another. However, despite the clear amounts of damage both of them had sustained thus far, neither one of them were anywhere close to slowing down or stopping, as they carried on swinging at one another with great fury and unbridled passion.

In fact, it'd quickly become apparent that over the course of the fight, not only as Gohan's battle power climbing at an accelerated rate, but so was Lucoa's. This meant both of them were getting progressively stronger as their duel carried on.

Between the endless chains of blows they were hammering one another with, the dragon girl Lucoa suddenly spotted an opening in Gohan's pattern and quickly snuck several punches into it. Hitting him repeatedly and throwing off his rhythm, the adolescent reptile began laying on the abuse and proceeded to pound her smaller opponent with a string of merciless, unrelenting attacks. Seeing him finally stop attacking back gave Lucoa all the encouragement she needed to press forward, as she landed multiple earsplitting blows over and over again, all the while pushing him across the sky.

"Hahahahaha! My Saiyan! My Saiyan!" Lucoa laughed uproariously as she punched and kicked the hapless young child with a vicious bombardment of strikes. Watching his body warp and buckle under the storm, all the while his voice yelped out repeatedly in pain with each successful hit, the dragon girl sped up. "Come on! Hahaha! Come on! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight back!" She shouted over the sounds of her fists ravaging her foe, which sounded like gunfire exploding in their ears.

As she began to force the boy out of the sky, Lucoa saw her window and wound up for a finisher, swinging back her leg and then striking towards Gohan's hunched over form. Her leg cut through the air like a knife towards the seemingly stunned Super Saiyan. However, a split second before her attack could hit, the child's head shot up and his arms snapped around her leg, catching it, and swiftly crushing it at the joint so that it bent in a way no leg should ever be bent.

The loud snapping of bones was drowned out by Lucoa's howl of pain, the dragon swiftly retaliating against Gohan's cheeky leg lock by swinging her other leg up and striking him in the face with her heel. A loud bang rang out when the child's chin was knocked back, forcing the boy to release the limb as his eyes filled with stars. But before the dragon could follow up that attack with a second one, the demi-Saiyan responded by quickly spinning around and swinging his leg down at the approaching Lucoa, hitting her square in her chest and knocking her out of the sky. The girl's body screamed like a jet as she flew towards the icy planet below, eventually slamming into a glacier and caving it in under the force of her impact.

Gohan dove into the geyser of frost that gushed into the air after his opponent, whereupon moments later the sounds of more explosions and shockwaves within the cloud began ringing out. With the planet shaking around the cascading boulders of ice and the armies fighting nearby being forced to duck to avoid the debris that came flying their way, the spurt of rapid fire detonations from within the imploding mountain was ended when a body was eventually kicked out of the center.

As it turned out, Lucoa ended up flying out of the cloud of frost to crash into the battlefield- her body being sent tumbling between the two armies shooting at one another. When she eventually skidded to a stop on all fours, the dragon's wings fanned out as her wide eyes snapped up in the direction she'd been sent flying from. When she saw the cloud of fog that was the remains of the glacier part sharply, she then sprang to the side in time to avoid the flying kick Gohan came at her with, as the demi-Saiyan's form reappeared out of thin air to slam his feet into the ground after the missed attack.

Upon sliding to a stop and wheeling around to face his opponent, the young hero with the cracked armor and blood dripping from his forehead felt his eyes widen when he saw Lucoa dart to the side at blinding speed, before then charging right at him. "Crap!" Knowing exactly what was coming, Gohan dove out of the way to avoid the thrust of her wing, which she'd used to ram him with a couple times before as a guard breaker. The moment he dodged, he avoided the second swipe off her spiked tail that came immediately afterwards to blindside him, which prompted the demi-Saiyan to leap backwards through the air to gain distance and fire off a quick salvo of energy blasts.

Swinging her wings around, fanning them wide, and clapping them in front of her, Lucoa formed a protective shield ahead of her body that allowed her to defend against the barrage of beams, which bounced off of her scaled appendages or exploded against them with no effect. The moment she felt the barrage end, the girl flung her wings out and unleashed a concussive shockwave to ward off any further attempts of attack, before then springing into the sky at high speed and setting herself at an altitude above the battlefield.

Gohan, landing a safe distance from where she was, then watched as the glowing orange veins and gaps along the girl's scaled, curvaceous body intensified once again, indicating another energy spike. A split second after which, the girl reared back her head, inflated her chest, before throwing her head forward and unleashing a blast of highly concentrated lava from her mouth.

Eyes widening in alarm, Gohan leapt back as fast as he possibly could, just in time to watch as her super heated attack slammed into the ground with a thunderous roar and vaporized the ice plate he'd been standing on. As an enormous crater was melted into the floor and the valley surrounding the site fractured, Lucoa continued feeding fuel to her attack, the waves of which gushed out of the hole and began rolling after the retreating Saiyan- splashing over the landscape and threatening to run him down.

Back flipping away from a wave of lava as the dragon girl's attack pursued him across the landscape- at the same time noticing another wave from the blast inadvertently engulf a group of soldiers fighting nearby- Gohan decided to take action and landed atop a tower of rock. Before the rest of the attack could reach him, the boy formed a gun with the fingers and thumb of his right hand, aimed it skywards, and concentrated.

A cluster of six golden energy spheres rapidly formed around his finger, all of which orbited around a seventh sphere that hovered in front of his finger and sparked brightly. "_**Nōshintō Kōsen!" **_(Concussive Light Ray) The instant he shouted the mantra, the golden sphere fired from his finger with a loud bang and shot towards the attacking Lucoa, along with the other golden spheres.

The multi-beamed blast arced through the air before hitting the dragon girl square in the chest, detonating with a flashy explosion and effectively cutting her off from her attack. The shockwave generated by the blast of fire shook the landscape and knocked several distant soldiers off their feet, while Gohan merely knelt atop his pillar of stone with his finger extended and an intense look on his face.

Knowing that his opponent was still alive and well, Gohan didn't wave to wait long for Lucoa to retaliate as the winged warrior suddenly came blasting out of the bottom of the cloud of fire and dove towards him at breakneck speeds. Prompting charging another beam attack from his finger gun, the boy grunted as he let off another shot, a loud bang ringing out as he sent another golden beam shooting towards his approaching foe.

His attack however missed when Lucoa darted sharply to the side and avoided the blast, before eventually beginning to tear across the sky around her grounded opponent in a wide arc.

Tracking her with his senses, Gohan fired off several more high-powered bullet rounds from his finger as he attempted to snipe the girl out of the air, only to watch Lucoa expertly weave around his blasts before dropping altitude, indiscriminately smashing through several distant mountains, obliterating their peaks, and sending their remains cascading down their hosts in the form of several icy avalanches. The adolescent dragon moved so fast across through the air that she didn't even care she was crashing through multiple rocky obstacles- avoiding all of Gohan's attacks as she literally did a full lap around her foe while he unleashed barrages of concentrated beam attacks in her direction.

After the Saiyan child missed with every single shot, he then brought up his other hand, formed a gun with it, and began rapid firing at the dragon with duel bang blasts. This increased consistency of attacks seemed to get a reaction from his airborne opponent, as he saw Lucoa suddenly perform a barrel roll mid flight and begin diving towards him yet again. As her form smashed through another mountain lying in her path and obliterated it, Gohan unleashed a hail of beam attacks at her, only recoil in alarm when he saw them all bounce off of her body as she folded in her wings, powered through his barrage, and cut a path straight towards him like a falcon diving towards its prey.

"Crap!" Gohan uttered, while unleashing several more beams from his two fingers.

Her increase in speed allowing her streamlined form to bounce his salvo of piercing shots, Lucoa cut through his assault with ease, prompting the demi-Saiyan to stop his attacks and load up his fist for a punch. Though Gohan managed to telegraph the girl's approach, when she eventually flew into his range, she dodged his counter, swung a hand over his extending arm, and slammed a hand into Gohan's startled face.

The demi-Saiyan only had enough time to let out a muffled yelp as Lucoa effortlessly picked him up off his rocky perch, carried him, drew his hapless body back, before slamming his face into the icy floor. Without even slowing down, the dragon girl began to plough the battlefield with Gohan's face, dragging his head through the ice and earth, and carving a human-sized trench through the ground for several hundred yards.

Laughing as she did so, Lucoa listened to Gohan's yelps and cries of agony as she farmed the planet's surface with the Super Saiyan's face. Eventually, after a few seconds of flight, she lifted Gohan's body up, and dumped him into the ground with a loud bang. Once he was released, the grinning Lucoa then sprang back as fast as she could to get out of range of any potential retaliation.

Gohan, stars swirling in his eyes, picked himself out of the divot he made in the ground, shook the ice out of his hair, before then spitting out a tooth. Seeing the blood from his mouth splatter across the floor, the child smirked as he sensed his opponent retreat. "Not bad. That was a slick move," he rasped, before then snapping his eyes around and grinning at his retreating foe. "Now it's my turn!" Crouching forward onto all fours, the child loaded up his legs before blasting off with a clap of thunder.

Seeing her foe dart across the ground towards her on all fours like a cheetah in full sprint, a defensive Lucoa- her body steaming and glowing from the cracks- loaded up her wings and swung them forward. Slicing them through the air in the manner she did allowed her to launch another barrage of hardened scales towards her approaching foe, with each projectile flashing through the air as they flew towards the boy with the intent of cutting him to shreds.

However, before the first wave of blades could hit, the sprinting Gohan's body suddenly flickered mid stride before darting around the hail of blades. Zipping from side to side at such speeds that he left multiple after images in his wake, the charging Super Saiyan gave a wide grin as he powered up, coated himself in his aura, and bolted forward- his form letting off a loud sonic boom.

Changing course and beginning to sprint around his foe, Gohan began rushing around his foe to line himself up for his strike. When the girl launched more scales his way, he blitzed through them, allowing them to pepper the ground behind him while he forced the dragon to swivel about to track him. After running a full lap around the girl, Gohan spotted an opening in Lucoa's attacks, which he quickly capitalized on.

The moment the girl drew her wing back after another unsuccessful attempt to hit him with her scales, the half-Saiyan warrior sharply changed course and charged towards her- his hands and feet pounding the ground as his aura exploded around him at full blast. Doing so offered him yet another burst of speed, which Gohan used to send himself flying at the girl, during which time he wound back his right arm and swung forward. "ORAAAA!" With a loud crack, he managed to nail the startled dragon girl with a clothes line to the neck, which hit with the force of a train and sent the girl into a backwards, head over heels spin.

Gohan flew past her on the follow-through, allowing the winged girl to spin three times before slamming into the ground back first. The instant she hit the floor and let out a yelp, the fast-moving demi-Saiyan kicked his feet into the floor and threw himself into the sky. Turning as he climbed altitude, the boy took aim at the girl on the floor below, swung back his arms, and then thrust them down.

Doing so allowed him to cast two beams of golden energy from his palms, which whipped through the air like a pair of ropes before striking the ground on either side of Lucoa, startling the dragon girl as she quickly scrambled to her feet. The moment the beams of light embedded into the icy floor, Gohan gripped them with his hands, gave a hard pull, and yanked himself out of the air- practically sling-shooting himself towards his opponent, who was now crouching squarely in his crosshairs.

With a sonic boom, the boy flew right into Lucoa and slammed into her with a full-on shoulder tackle. The fact that his body had been super-charged by his aura meant that the instant he collided with her and drove the girl into the floor, a golden explosion erupted from him and swallowed up both in a flash of fire. However, due to concentrating all of his momentum into a single point, the effect of the explosion hit Lucoa only and knocked the dragon girl flying out of the crater. The speed she was carried with was so great her body practically tumbled bonelessly from hill to hill, before eventually colliding with a distant rock and smashing it to smithereens.

The Cooler soldiers fighting in that area all ducked as the foxhole they were shooting from was showered by rock and ice. When the shaking stopped, the corporal amongst them poked his head up and gaped. "What the hell was that?"

His answer came when he saw Lucoa clamber out of the hole she'd made, shake her head, and snarl towards her opponent over a hundred meters away.

Gohan, taking his signature on-fours stance, grinned back at the girl while she crouched in her hole, her body looking quite singed and bruised after that tackle hit she took. With blood dripping from multiple open wounds on both warriors, the pair looked just about ready to call it in.

Only they weren't.

After panting hard several times, Lucoa then bolted forward with a roar, lunging at Gohan with a clawed strike. The demi-Saiyan meanwhile darted to the side and dodged the adolescent's attack, allowing her to plot into the ground as opposed to him. After the dragon girl smashed through the ice when she missed her target, she quickly wheeled around, loaded up her right hand, and thrust it forward, unleashing an energy blast in the form of a blast of fire.

The torrent of flames arced towards Gohan as he sprang across the valley, his golden form avoiding the attack and allowing it to strike a group of Slug soldiers taking cover behind a ridge. As the hill detonated and sent a group of men flying through the air, the half-Saiyan half pint landed on the ground and once again coated his hands with two spheres of energy. Flinging his right hand forward, he sent a length of golden energy whipping through the air to strike Lucoa, smacking the dragon girl across the shoulder in a flash of sparks and flames. He did the same thing with the left, slashing out with the length of energy and whipping the girl again from the opposite direction. And from there he repeated, making long-ranged strikes with the two golden whips from his hands and laying the smackdown on his foe.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Watching the progress of the battle playing out on the hologram comfortably from his seat- his cheek resting against his knuckles while his fingers drummed his armrest- the initially silent Lord Slug cocked an eyebrow when he saw the camera focus on the fight between Gohan and Lucoa. Seeing the projection focus in on the golden haired child, he, Kuriza, and the stricken Ginyu Force members watched as the kid whipped and struck away at his foe with blindly quick swings from the golden ropes of energy he was swinging around his body.

Upon seeing his whips crash across Lucoa from the side and send the dragon girl staggering away, trailing smoke, the Namekian warlord murmured in an intrigued manner. "That boy… he's giving my subordinate quite a run for her money," he remarked, drawing looks from the Ginyu Force while Kuriza watched with his hands in his lap and his back stiff as a board. Watching Gohan land another slash across the girl and sent her stumbling away had the green ruler frown. "It's not every day a fighter is able to damage Lucoa-chan that badly."

Kuriza, blinking in awe as he saw the dragon girl charge in at Gohan on screen, only to get whipped away by a well-timed, sideways swipe from his golden band, then stuttered when he noticed something odd about the exchange. "Hey. I-Isn't that boy… a… a Saiyan?" He asked, his voice sounding both curious and surprised at the same time.

Captain Ginyu, catching onto this, glanced up in alarm. "Huh? A Saiyan?"

"That's… impossible…" Recoome groaned out, looking up through a swollen eye at the hologram to get a better look at the child making sport of Lord Slug's strongest pawn. Up until now, neither one of them recognized the kid was a member of that race. They just assumed he was from another one altogether. "I… I thought Lord Frieza… destroyed all the Saiyans… when he wiped out their home planet."

"Too right, mate," Jeice answered, the little back and forth drawing Lord Slug's gaze over to them. "He wasted every single one of those monkeys with a single attack. Their entire world. Zarbon told me himself…"

"Well… all except for Vegeta and his friends," Guldo added at the end, gritting his teeth slightly when he made mention of the man's name. "Personally… I think Lord Frieza should've done them all in on the same day…"

Burter, ignoring the blood dripping over his eye, frowned when he craned his head up towards the projection, which he found quite hard to do on account of his entire body being held in place by their enemy's telekinesis. "So… how come there's a Saiyan… fighting in Lord Cooler's elite? As far as I know… there aren't any Saiyans living in his part of space…"

After watching the screen for a bit on longer, the battered and exhausted Jeice then clenched his fists when he saw, to his astonishment, Gohan fling another whip at Lucoa and knock her back with a blast of sparks. "Well… one thing's for sure… that little ankle biter is strong… and kicking ass…"

Hearing the explosion on screen of the fight and watching the young Super Saiyan whip his energy bands around him in an aggressive yet stylish manner, drew a smile from Kuriza as the boy prince clenched his hands against his lap. "Y-Yeah. He's… incredible…"

Noticing the look of admiration come over the young heir to Frieza's Empire, Lord Slug narrowed his eyes on the child, before then glancing back at the hologram. After several seconds of observing Gohan expertly ward off Lucoa's advances with several more, devastating strikes, a smirk tugged at the Namekian's lips. "Hmm… yes. Incredible indeed."

At that moment, an idea slowly started to percolate in the old warlord's mind- one of great promise and potential…

OOO

(Back with the action)

Deciding to retaliate after being hit across the head and chest by her opponent's streams of golden light for the twentieth time in a row, a noticeably pissed off Lucoa pitched a ball of fire towards the boy in attempt to knocked him back, only to watch the Super Saiyan child use one of his whips to smack the attack away, and counter with another swing from long range. Ducking under the band of ki when it shot across at her and taking note of its unorthodox angle, the girl lobbed yet another ball from her hand across the ground, bouncing the flaming sphere towards the child and ending up clipping him in the shoulder.

"Gah!" Yelping from the fiery sphere that took off the tip of his protective shoulder plate, the young Super Saiyan answered with a big swing from the golden energy whip from his right hand and flung it at the dragon. However, the moment his attack swung in, Lucoa managed to catch it with her clawed hand and grip the solid beam tight. Once she had him and wrapped the band around her forearm, the dragon gave a hard pull on the string of energy, and yanked Gohan towards her. "What the- WAAAAAH!"

So caught off guard by the maneuver, Gohan was unable to guard when Lucoa- still gripping his energy whip- spun into his approaching body and nailed him in the face with a spinning back fist. Clocking him in the skull, she then spun the opposite direction and nailed him in the body with her tail, smashing him off his feet and sending him careening across the battlefield between the two opposing lines.

The soldiers on both Cooler's side and Lord Slug side watched in awe and alarm as Gohan's body went screaming past them- bouncing across the ice and up into the air like rag doll. The second his body flew by, Lucoa bolted after him, sprinting in pursuit of the youngster before jumping after him when his body bounced on its third hill. With almost perfect time, the grinning dragon girl caught up to the hapless Super Saiyan and slammed into him crotch first, catching his head and neck, and crushing it between her thighs.

Spinning them both horizontally through the air, Lucoa then swung the stunned Gohan towards the ground. The moment he saw the floor approaching him in bullet time, the demi-Saiyan experienced a single moment of lucidity as his face paled and a dumb smile crossed his lips.

"_Ohh… this is gonna hurt…" _the child thought.

A split second later, it was as if somebody set off an entire storehouse of dynamite in the middle of the icy battlefield, as Gohan was literally slammed face-first into the ground by Lucoa's thighs. The ground split and chunks of ice gushed into the air with the geyser that occurred, as the dragon girl executed the wrestling move of the century that would've most certainly killed any other opponent. The soldiers watching from both Cooler's and Lord Slug's lines all winced in unison at the savagery they'd just witnessed.

When the frost and fog cleared seconds later, a second round of cringes occurred amongst the forces when they saw Gohan's legs sticking straight up into the air as his head was firmly planted into the floor. His feet and toes twitching, the child remained poised there for a full ten seconds, allowing the soldiers on his side to get a good view of his current predicament.

The sight would've been downright comical, if it didn't look agonizingly painful at the same time.

"Damn… he's going to be feeling that in the morning," one of the Cooler soldiers remarked, earning nods from his fellow compatriots.

After Gohan's body twitched a couple of times, Lucoa, who'd previously been crouching outside of the large crater she'd made with his body, jumped into the fissure where he was, grabbed the boy by the ankle, and yanked him out of the ground with a pop. Grinning broadly, the winged female glared down at the youngster through her glowing red eyes, only to tilt her head curiously when she heard the Super Saiyan chuckle.

His chuckling quickly transforming into full-blown laughter, the dragon then saw the blonde monkey boy glance up at her from his upside down position- a broad, Cheshire smile pulled across his lips and his turquoise eyes widened manically. "Hahaha! Yes! YES! I LOVE THIS! This is awesome! More! GIVE ME MORE, LU-CHAN!" The boy practically screamed, at the same time winding up both his hands and thrusting them up at his foe, whereupon he launched a two-handed ki blast into her face at point blank range.

The flash that occurred hit Lucoa square in the nose and engulfed her head, the explosion knocking her off her feet, drawing a startled yelp from her, and sending her flying back- trailing smoke. When Gohan dropped, he cartwheeled down and landed in a crouched position on the ground, watching through his mad smile as Lucoa's smoking body slammed into the ground on all fours and skidded to a stop.

When she shook off the smoke, the girl with the ash burns on her cheeks snarled up at the boy before bolting forward with a flash of fire. The ground exploding behind her from the speed she used, the girl dove at the boy from up high, powering through the second ki blast he launched at her and grabbing him by the shoulders. The instant she had him, she shoved him back and drove him into the floor, smashing a human-sized divot into the ice.

As soon as she had him pinned, Lucoa opened her mouth wide and chomped down into Gohan's neck, her razor-sharp teeth burying into his flesh and drawing blood. The act of which drew a cry of pain from the child as the dragon girl proceeded to cut into his vein and drink from him, blood oozing out as she guzzled down whatever came out. Thanks to her hands pinning down his arms and her knee pressing down on his chest, all the child could do was writhe and scream in pain as Lucoa had her way with him.

Tearing her jaws away seconds later and splattering blood over the ground, Lucoa swung her head back and gave a mighty roar- the act of which sending a shockwave off of her body as the glowing veins of her scales flared brightly. After giving her primal screech to the sky, the dragon girl inhaled deeply before running her tongue over her lips, moaning when she tasted Gohan's blood on her.

"Mmm… yeeess… this taste. So strong… so delicious…" she breathed, before snapping her eyes back down to Gohan to see the child with the teeth marks in his neck grinning back at her. "I want you, Saiyan. I want ALL of you! My Saiyan! Mine. Mine. _**ALL MINE!"**_ She then grabbed the top of his skull with one of her hands, yanked his head to the side, and prepared to go in for another bite.

Gohan, panting and grinning excitedly with battle mania, wasn't too keen on letting the girl take another chomp out of him. So, before she had a chance to lunge for his torn neck, he wound up the arm she'd released, clenched his fist, and threw it up- firing a kiai shockwave point blank in her face. The blast knocked the dragon off of his body and sent her flying away, tumbling across the land several times before once again sliding to a stop.

When the Super Saiyan kipped back up onto his feet, he dropped down into an aggressive fighting stance and snarled, his golden tail whipping behind him like a wild animal while the chunk missing from his neck rapidly healed over as he channeled all his ki into the area to accelerate the repairs. Lucoa, grinning excitedly and bleeding from the bottom lip of her snout, also gave a guttural growl of her own. Of course, the pair's standoff was not to last, as the pair were suddenly and quite rudely interrupted when the armies on both sides of the field began firing at them- with Lord Slug's soldiers coming out from their hiding places to blast at Gohan, while those on Cooler's side started taking pot shots at Lucoa and charging at her into the open.

The two youngsters lurched from the opening blaster shots that struck them in their backs and- in typical, reactive fashion- both of them gnashes their teeth at their attackers and responded by firing blasts back at the troops, wiping out two whole squads and forcing the others to take cover.

With the pair drawing other combatants to their engagement, and Myra and Commander Zeeun still locked in their fight a short distance away, it seemed as though the battle for the planet was finally coming to a head. However, just as the youngest, wildest pair of fighters prepared to go after one another again after shrugging off the barrages of lasers hitting them, the piercing howl of an approaching jet followed by a multitude of violent explosions ripping across Lord Slug's line caused both Gohan and Lucoa to instinctively crouch down.

At that exact moment, the headquarters of Cooler's Armored Squadron and the group's mobile home base,_ The Comet, _came screaming overhead, unloading a dense concentration of blaster fire on the enemy lines and dropping a ton of ordinance on the defending demon forces. Explosions similar to napalm engulfed the white, armored legions of Lord Slug's legions, and incinerated them in a glorious wall of orange flames. The ship itself made a low run across the entire front, while simultaneous lining up and taking several shots at Lucoa- whom Shira was able to spot through her ship's scopes.

"Got yah, bitch," the blonde, red-skinned captain of the vessel said while pressing down on the triggers, watching as the cannons on the front of her ship strafed the space where Quetzalcoatl was standing.

The moment the corvette unloaded its rounds on the icy valley and managed to hit the dragon girl a few times- knocking her over with a shot to the chest- the ship fired up its thrusters and took off, roaring loudly as it arced up into the sky.

Lucoa, not taking kindly to getting hit so hard by the ship's cannon that it actually singed the scales of her breasts, glared after the retreating vessel and roared at it.

Commandeer Zeeun meanwhile, managing to knock Myra away with a swift backhand, was able to observe _The Comet_ make its bombing run and wipe out a shitload of his troops. Upon seeing it pull up and away from the battlefield, the armored general clenched his teeth in a rage and, remembering all too well the interaction he'd had with the pilot earlier, pointed up at it. "LUCOA! BLOW THAT PIECE OF JUNK… OUT OF THE SKY!" He managed to bellow out, before being forced to block a downward sword swing from Myra when she came leaping at him with an overhead strike.

Hearing the commander's order loud and clear, the irate dragon girl fanned her wings and shot up into the sky, quickly giving pursuit of the corvette as it retreated. Gohan, seeing his opponent give chase to his group's ship, quickly powered up and bolted after her, resulting in both opponents rocketing into the sky in the form of two streaks of light- a fiery orange one and a golden one.

As _The Comet_ attempted to get away from the battlefield, the ship inadvertently passed over the enemy's hangar area. The instant they crossed into its vicinity, a group of twelve, silver-plated saucers similar in design to Slug's largest ship were immediately deployed from the hangar bay, and the men piloting the craft quickly gave pursuit to the streamlined corvette.

The instant the smaller saucers pulled up behind the ship and locked onto its tail, they began opening fire on it with blaster bolts from their forward cannons. Soon_ The Comet_ found itself in a bit of trouble, as laser bolts started streaking past its white hull and flak began bursting all around it.

Towards the back of the bridge, Deita- the maintenance officer of the ship- had occupied the rear gunner position. When he spotted the saucers coming at them from below, he immediately engaged the rear cannons, locked the ships in his crosshairs, and opened fire on them. Golden bolts launched from the back of the corvette, leading to an exchange of lasers between both the prey and the pursuers.

While the alien of Burter's race swiveled about in the rear gunners seat, taking pot shots at the saucers swarming about in his view port, the blue alien suddenly blinked when he saw an orange ball of flames fly into formation with the saucers. When he zoomed the cannon's targeting screen onto the mysterious approaching object, he balked when he saw an angry dragon girl glaring back at him and quickly engaged the headgear he was wearing.

"Uhh… Captain… we have dragon girl incoming… and she's pissed," Deita called out, his voice breaking slightly as he quickly gripped the handles of his gun and began firing blaster bolts towards the approaching fireball. But despite scoring at least two hits, none of the ship's cannons seemed to deter her. "Oh crap. This isn't good."

Shira, noticing the enemy approaching her on her radar screen at the ship's helm, cracked a smile and looked back over her shoulder. "Heh. Looks like I managed to reel in a big one," she remarked, before quickly making adjustments on her forward console and making a hard turn. "Don't worry. I'll try to lose her."

As _The Comet_ veered, while simultaneously still receiving fire from the saucers pursuing it, Lucoa's flaming form bolted past her squadron allies and quickly caught up to the corvette. Dodging the blaster bolts fired from the rear gun, the dragon attempted to hit it with a fire ball from her hand- only to watch her attack bounce off of its energy shield. Gritting her teeth, she then quickly pulled up alongside the ship's bridge, spotted its main forward window, and dove for it. The flame aura coating her body promptly dissipating on her descent and leaving only the flames from her spines still burning, the dragon girl landed directly in front of the bridge on all fours, and skidded to a stop on its hull.

Halting directly in front of the window, Lucoa glared into _The Comet's_ cockpit and command center, where she saw Shira glaring right back at her from the ship's helm.

After a quick stare off between both the pilot and the angry dragon girl, the winged pursuer then bared her teeth and drew back her fist to smash through the window and kill the crew. However, the instant she wound up, Shira quickly reached down and flipped a switch. The result was the bridge's specially designed anti-solar shield being cranked up to full power, which instantly sent over a million volts of electricity rushing into the dragon girl's body. Her brown, scaled form practically lit up like a blue Christmas tree light and a howl of pain echoed from her lips as she was subjected to the frigate's specially modded defense systems.

"You think I'm just gonna let you waltz into my ship uninvited?" Shira asked through the glass as she watched Lucoa get cooked by the bolts of lightning running up her body and zapping off of her. "Think again, girl."

Lucoa, gritting her teeth as she physically fought back against the currents of electricity frying her organs, balled her clawed hand into a fist and prepared to ram it into the glass. However, just as she was about to take a swing at the glass, a golden blur suddenly tackled her from the side and sent both of them tumbling across the forward hull of the vessel. After rolling across the metal surface, the dragon girl skidded to a stop on all fours and glared up at the figure who'd attacked her, and saw Gohan crouching defensively in front of his ship's bridge.

The Super Saiyan child shot her a grin. "Hey! Don't forget about me!" He then sprinted forward across the ship at full speed.

Lucoa, grinning back eagerly, answered the child's question with a screech and charged at him as well, meeting him in the middle and ramming into him with her claw, which he skillfully parried. From there, the pair began a vicious, yet superbly styled hand-to-hand exchange atop the smooth hull of _The Comet_, their bodies turning into two barely discernible blurs as they circled around one another trading blows and parries, all while keeping themselves balanced atop the fast-moving ship.

Despite the fierce winds and gravity working against them, both Gohan and Lucoa carried on with their dance of death with shockingly no difficulty- almost like their physics defying act was going completely over their head. All the while the pair were watched by a rather surprised Shira, who then resumed her piloting as the saucers on her tail kept on fighting her.

The chase between the ships, the explosions going off around the retreating corvette, and the fight between Gohan and Lucoa on the top of its hull, all came together to make a highly visceral and intense battle amidst this war.

As the ship turned through the clouds, avoiding a stream of blasts from the saucers still locked onto its tail, Gohan managed to duck inside his opponent's defenses when she missed him with a slash, and lay into her with several swift blows to the face. After cracking her cheeks with a few solid hooks, he suddenly had his fist caught by the girl's clawed hand, before Lucoa- growling in frustration- bit into his forearm.

Gohan let out a rather hilarious scream when he felt the girl's fangs sink into his flesh a second time as she tried to take another chunk out of him, which led to him letting out a bark of anger. "OW! That's it!" While the girl still had her teeth in him, the boy leapt forward, grabbed the horn on her head for leverage, and then bit into her neck.

His jaws sinking into her smooth neck, forced Lucoa to let go and cry out as well, as the boy got payback for all the pain she'd caused him. Dropping to her knees as Gohan gnawed at her flesh, the dragon girl clawed and grabbed at the boy's hair to try and get him too let go. However, try as she might, the child just kept on biting her as he slowly drew blood from her hot flesh.

Shira, finding the sight of the two kids biting each other quite peculiar, then winched when she felt her ship unexpectedly buck from another laser bolt going off directly under her thrusters. "Damn it!"

Noticing the warning lights flash across the corvette's shield stats, Niyusu- still seated down in the crew pit as Shira made another evasive turn- quickly rerouted power from the forward nose to the back to reinforce the barrier. "That was a close one, captain! A few more hits like that and we'll lose our back shields!"

"Don't worry! This girl's tough enough to take a supernova to the face! It'll take a lot more than a few high-powered heat bolts to scratch her!" Quickly responding to her bridge officer's report, Shira rapidly keyed into her console to divert power to the engines she wanted. "Still, I'm going to have to ditch these assholes. Hold on!" The moment she felt the engines get a huge kick, the pilot then yanked forward on the stick and sent the corvette into a fast dive. The instant the ship lurched forward and everything inside of it slid towards the nose, the captain then quickly barked over the ship's intercom. "Hey, Gohan! You and your girlfriend might want to duck! Things are about to get hairy!"

Gohan and Lucoa, both of whom were rolling around in front of the ship's bridge and punching each other full MMA style, then stopped when they heard Shira's voice over the ship's outside speakers. "What?" The Saiyan asked out loud, before the two of them looked towards the nose of the ship. It was then the pair's eyes widened like saucers when they saw that _The Comet_ was in fact hard diving towards the ground and a canyon- the cliffs of which were far too close to each other for anything other than the ship _they_ were on to fit through. "Oh, crap baskets!"

The instant they realized what Shira intended to do and what was going to happen, Lucoa rolled off of Gohan, got next to him, and both youngsters lay flat against the top of the corvette's hull. At that exact moment, the pair felt hundreds of feet of ice and rock go rushing past them- literally a few inches from their faces and chests- as the captain of the ship began flying the corvette through the canyon and into the bowels of the ice planet below.

At that moment, Shira decided to play an epic orchestral score over the ship's speakers as she tilted the ship and began weaving her way between the ice walls, the vessel's lights guiding her as she began dodging ice pillars and spikes all the way down. Lord Slug's saucers of course continued chasing the ship as directed, only for a couple of them to crash and explode when they failed to maneuver properly. But what essentially unfolded from there was a chase like no other, as the red-skinned pilot took the corvette and her pursuers inside the planet through the most unthinkable passage imaginable.

As The Comet dove and weaved, sparks flew off of its hull as it scraped against the ice cliffs a couple of times, with a couple of skids happening way too close for Gohan and Lucoa's liking. Regardless, when the pair noticed a moment of space, the dragon girl turned into the boy and slashed at him, with the child parrying and countering with punches. The pair continued to fight on their backs, rolling across the ship's hull and towards the bridge's window, while Shira expertly piloted the ship's streamlined ass through the corridor.

Deita, managing to blast another saucer with the back turret, noticed how close the ice walls were and threw his hands up in disbelief. "Are we seriously doing this?!"

"Absolutely," Shira shouted back over the radio, grinning as she moved her head to the beat of the orchestral music while making a harder turn. "Hold onto your butts!" She then pressed the triggers of the forward cannons and blasted a few ice stalactites hanging in her path.

Doing so caused them to drop- and while she managed to duck_ The Comet_ under the massive falling spikes- two of the five remaining saucers chasing them weren't so lucky, and ended up ramming into them and exploding.

After a full minute of dodging ice pillars and boulders lining the canyon she was flying through, Shira eventually changed course and sent the ship upwards. Doing so caused both the brawling Gohan and Lucoa to roll back along the ship's surface, the pair of them still tangled up in one another's limbs and punching one another. After rolling over the bridge, the dragon girl swung an arm out and rammed a claw into one of the steel plates, burying into it with her nails and hooking herself there. The Super Saiyan meanwhile grabbed hold of her back and, locking his legs around her waist, began driving repeated elbows into her face.

As Lucoa yelped out in pain from the hits while holding on for dear life,_ The Comet_ ascended through the canyon at high speed, avoiding more ice spikes while dodging blaster fire from behind. For several seconds it seemed like the saucers pursuing the vessel were about to have them. However, when Shira saw a wall coming up, she then fired a proton torpedo into it, obliterated it, and flew through the rubble. The saucers on the other hand weren't so lucky and ended up smashing right into the falling debris, which ripped them to shreds.

The moment they exploded and the ballot fire chased_ The Comet_, the corvette busted out of the canyon and back to the planet's surface- shooting straight up into the sky. The increased velocity Shira managed to apply when she punched the ship's thrusters into overdrive caused Lucoa's grip to loosen, the dragon girl throwing a few elbows back into Gohan's face while he kept on punishing her with knee and elbow strikes.

Then, after the dragon girl reached back to grab the Saiyan child's head to rip him off of her, the boy threw a hand forward and blasted the metal panel she was grabbing, destroying it and sending both of them plummeting from the ship and out of the sky.

As_ The Comet_ shot up into low orbit, Gohan fell with Lucoa- his legs still wrapped around her as he gripped her throat and continued punching her face. After taking several hits the girl retaliated with a few of her own, cracking the boy a few times across the cheek before she grabbed his shoulder and breathed fire at him at point blank range. The half-Saiyan hero had the right sense of mind to duck under her mouth blast and uppercut her in the chin, knocking her back and effectively separating both of them mid fall. However, as both of them descended towards the valleys below, they continued to duke it out.

Swinging her tail up at him, the angry Lucoa attempted to slash the Saiyan with the flaming spikes at the end. But Gohan, quick as ever, caught her appendage, gripped it hard, and pulled her. "GOT YAH!" He called out, tossing her around and sending both of them into a high speed spin, which caused the dragon girl to let out a startled scream.

Spinning her around in circles over two dozen times in less than a second as they plummeted from the sky, the Super Saiyan then gritted his teeth, inhaled sharply, and yelled out as he released Lucoa's tail and tossed her towards the planet. The result was the winged female plummeting out of control from the sky and eventually slamming back first into the icy planet a mile below with an earsplitting crack.

As the scaled girl effectively punched a three-hundred foot wide crater into the middle of the region, leaving her stunned and in a daze, Gohan was able to wind himself up and prepare his finishing move. Continuing to fall, the child threw himself into a spin as the flames of his energy blasted around him, effectively accelerating him as he dove towards the planet and the exact spot where Lucoa had landed. Spotting her lying sprawled out at the bottom of her hole, the grinning boy then let out a boisterous laugh as he threw his arms out, straightened his legs, and dropped the rest of the way out of the sky in what could only be described as a Mach 20 swan dive.

"BANZAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIII!" He cried out, laughing joyously as his golden body visibly began to burn up as he made final approach towards the ground.

By the time Lucoa opened her eyes, she was only able to let out a gasp of alarm when, a split second later, Gohan slammed into her chest with his- and a shockwave equivalent to that given off by a hydrogen bomb ruptured the countryside.

The dome of wind that exploded out from the point the laughing Super Saiyan collided with Lucoa not only sent cracks across the entire northern hemisphere of the planet, but it also parted all of the clouds above and caused a portion of the entire planet to implode on itself. In fact, Gohan's full body slam with the dragon was so damn powerful, it actually distorted the face of Lord Slug's ice planet to the point that Cooler- who was watching the battle from his ship- saw one part of the planet's curvature sink.

It was actually quite a spectacle to observe from orbit.

The entire event lasted a full minute, with the landscape practically shuddering under the blow it received. When the frost and dust inevitably settled, it revealed a crater sitting smack bang in the middle of the countryside so massive, anyone glimpsing it from afar would think that either a large comet or a small moon had collided with the planetoid. However, when moving towards the heart of the ground zero site, the true cause of the anomaly revealed himself when he pulled himself out of the pile of rock he was buried under and shook the granite out of his blonde hair.

"Woo! That was great!" Gohan laughed, having executed the finishing move he'd been practicing with Dore to near perfection. Considering the fact that his body slam concentrated all of his energy into his center mass and had him ram all of it into his opponent at a single point, there was absolutely no way anyone was walking away from it. However, since he'd been up against an opponent who was as tenacious as he was, the child had no qualms in holding it back, and thus pulled it out when every other move he'd tried had failed. "So, Lu-chan? Are you done yet?"

When he looked down at the spot where he expected the dragon girl to be lying, the demi-Saiyan blinked in surprise when he didn't see her body there. In fact, after inspecting the ground at his feet and around him, he noticed that there wasn't a trace of her to be found.

"Huh? Wait… didn't I-? I could've sworn I hit her," Gohan mumbled, wondering what in the world had happened to the Ryujin. After a few seconds of searching, his eyes widened. "Oh no. Could I have…? Did I…?" Disintegrate her? Vaporize her? Hell, he landed on her with enough force to rupture the entire planet, so there was a small chance he could've- for all intents and purposes- turned her into dust.

Of course, as the Super Saiyan in the now battered body armor and ripped purple suit thought he'd ended the dragon girl, a loud stomp followed by a deep growl suddenly caused his body to stiffen. Feeling a hot breath of air against the back of his neck, Gohan quickly wheeled around and looked up towards the towering wall of smoke hanging behind him. As his eyes panned skyward, he suddenly spotted a massive shadow emerge from the grey and a pair of red hot, burning eyes appear from the smog to glare down at him.

After craning his gaze several stories above the ground to meet the floating red orbs, the half-Saiyan fighter then felt his breath still in his throat when he saw the wall of smoke get blown away by a sudden, fierce gust of wind. The instant it did, he watched as a carpet of flames burst into life along the enormous, sweeping back of what he immediately recognized as a full-grown, village-sized, and very pissed off dragon standing over him.

Her brown scales glittering under the veil of flames raging from the length of spines lining her broad, armored hide, and her wings fanning out to their full, majestic breadth, Lucoa made her grand re-emergence onto the field in a display fit for any creature of myth and legend. Though still bearing the bruises and cuts from her lengthy fight with the Super Saiyan thus far, the dragon girl had nonetheless undergone a second transformation on top of the blazing one she'd busted out earlier. However, the evolution she'd undergone this time was far more pronounced and impressive than the first one, as instead of simply lighting up her body with a multitude of molten veins and fiery spikes, the scaled warrior had managed to do the impossible, and grew into a giant, fire breathing titan- the likes of which Gohan had only ever seen back on Earth.

And unlike the ones back on his home planet, Lucoa's_ Great Dragon_ form was far more imposing and terrifying then those he'd read in his books.

Huffing angrily and breathing out a cloud of steam, the now gargantuan reptile of a monster took a big step forward and dug her enlarged claws into the ground- her body noticeably more streamlined and lizard-like to accommodate her newly acquired mass. When she stepped forward, she leaned her head in, allowing her snout to hover directly in front of the startled Gohan.

When he saw the beast's eyes fixed squarely on him, the Super Saiyan blinked, before chuckling nervously. "Heh. So you had a transformation like this as well? Who'd have thought?" She must've brought it out the instant she got hit by his body slam to save herself from being knocked out. Smart.

Unfortunately Quetzalcoatl wasn't inclined to give Gohan any time to dwell on this realization, because as soon as she heard his remark, the giant dragoness reared her massive head back and opened her mouth- steam gushing out as the flames along her back intensified and the back of her throat started to glow.

Gohan, hearing her snarl, smirked and dropped into a fighting stance, before then blitzing forward and delivering a solid punch to her forward leg. His attack landing with a loud thud and causing the giant dragon to look down in surprise, the demi-Saiyan then unloaded several more hits in rapid succession- striking her forward ankle repeatedly with a string of blows.

"This may not do a lot of damage-!" Gohan shouted, landing one last kick that dented one of her scales before leaping off to the side and landing a safe distance away. When he did, he brought his hands up defensively and grinned. "But it'll definitely leave a bruise!"

The second he made that comment, with surprising flexibility and speed the boy wasn't expecting, the hybrid saw Lucoa spin around, open her mouth, and reveal an orange ball of highly concentrated flames glowing in the back of her throat. The instant she opened her jaws at her opponent, she fired it, engulfing Gohan in a blinding flash of light as his expression turned from excited to horrified in a heartbeat.

"_Crap… I'm dead…"_ Was Gohan's last, conscious thought, before his body ended up being swallowed up by the girl's now significantly more powerful fire breath at point blank range.

The angle at which the giant Lucoa fired her fully charged attack was so steep and at such close proximity that the dragon wound up blasting Gohan straight into the planet's crust- her beam tunneling into the ground and sending the stunned Super Saiyan tearing through layers upon layers of rock at blinding speed. From level to level the child was sent barreling through the plate, his scream of agony drowned out by the roar of flames that came gushing out of the dragon's maw, which tunneled into the planet with such power and range that she wound up creating a second thermonuclear blast inside the ice planet itself.

The countryside rippled and wrapped from the shockwave that traveled outwards, with the cracks and crevices formed from Gohan's body slam lighting up a hot orange. As if a volcano itself was erupting, the entire planet's tectonic plate was further hammered by the force of the dragon girl's blow, which practically decimated her opponent with a single hit.

When the girl finally ended her attack and stopped the flames from leaving her mouth, she saw a deep sink hole had been burned through the crater directly in front of her. Her red eyes narrowing on the steaming fissure and the molten slag lining its tunnel, the Ryujin took a deep, steady breath and huffed disappointedly, before fanning her wings out and taking flight.

In her wake, she left not only a newly laid, countrywide plain of destruction, but also a gaping hole in the planet and a thoroughly defeated Saiyan lying in ashes at the bottom of it. Now that her fun was cut short, it was time for her to take care of the rest of her master's enemies... and so she limped away.

Unfortunately, the dragon girl had called the fight far too soon. Because, lying at the bottom of the deep hole, his armor completely gone, leaving him in only his purple, torn spandex, boots and gloves, Gohan could be found lying atop a plate of glass and bleeding from multiple cuts and burns on his person.

Now back in his base form, the child lay in the heart of the cavern- of the pitch black darkness- an exhausted look on his face and his eyes glazed over. His fingers and toes twitching, and his entire body appearing more wrecked then it ever had before, the child heaved in several deep gulps of air, as his eyes slowly blinked away the spots that'd filled them in the wake of taking Lucoa's attack dead on.

"_W-What… the heck… just happened…"_ the child thought, his mind at a complete loss as to what'd just transpired. It'd happened so fast and so suddenly that his brain hadn't had enough time to catch up with the preposterous event that he'd been subjected to. _"Did I… did I lose?"_

Everything right now was hurting. Every nerve ending. Every organ. Every bone spanning his entire form. Every skin flake hanging off of his pores. He was in so much pain that Gohan didn't even know where to begin or say what was hurting the most. The steam he could feel coming off of his crackling, thoroughly scolded flesh, was evidence enough that he'd been blasted by something no other person could've possibly survived.

He'd been hit by a planet busting move and lived. That was not something a lot of people were able too pull off. And now he was paying the price.

"_I… I can't move…"_ he gasped, his mind finally reconnecting with the rest of his body as he attempted to try and get one of his parts to shift. But try as he might, he just couldn't find the strength to do it. And worse still, he had a much bigger problem to deal with. _"Lucoa-chan is still up there… still fighting. If… If she gets to Myra-nee and the others… they'll… they'll all be killed…"_

He couldn't let the fight end like this. Not like this. Not while his teammates- his friends- were still fighting, and certainly not while he still had so much more to give. So much more to show Lucoa.

It was stupid of him to think that he could take her on in her new form, especially after increasing her size, bulking up her armor, and giving herself a massive boost in power on top of it. She'd evolved to the point where ordinary fighting and tactics were no longer an option. He had to fight her on equal footing.

Pound for pound. Giant to giant.

And that's why Gohan knew he wasn't done yet. He still had one more trick up his sleeve. One more ace that he could use to push him into winning this battle against his impossible opponent.

He just needed a kick.

Taking a few deep, steady breaths, Gohan shut his eyes and concentrated. _"Forget the pain. Forget the fatigue. Push through it… push through all of it…"_ He needed to. If he was going to find the strength he needed to finish this, then he was going to have to draw on every last bit of energy and concentration he could grasp.

"Remember…"

"_Remember your training…"_

"_Remember what Myra-nee… what Dore-san… what Neiz-san… what the Captain told you…"_

"_When at your wits end…"_

"_When all your options, stamina, and strategies are all gone…"_

"_Focus on the light ahead… the light at the end of the tunnel…"_

"_The last ember of your strength."_

Opening his eyes, the child took another deep breath and focused. As he did, he saw a white speck far above- the very top of the hole he'd been driven into- twinkle in the distance. Gasping, Gohan gritted his teeth, tightened his jaw, steeled his body, and slowly, but surely, he reached for it.

"_The light…"_

"_The light is your strength."_

"_The light of the moon."_

"_The light of a Saiyan."_

Clenching his jaw and hardening his eyes as he forced himself to move through sheer will, Gohan saw the light ahead of him glint and intensify. And, as he concentrated on it- solely on it- he felt a sudden wash of energy begin to flow through him- a liquid warmth that ran over his nerves, swelled his muscles, and pushed him further towards what he was trying to grasp.

He could feel it.

Beyond the edge of his vision, teetering on the very precipice of his consciousness, in the very depths of his body and spirit. He could feel it. That familiar sensation of power and energy he'd experienced only a few times before, when Myra was training him on Cooler's planet, and teaching him how to harness his full potential.

The potential that dwelt within all the members of his race.

"_I remember…"_ Gohan thought, his eyes widening as he saw the light further intensify, causing his black irises to quickly turn a ghostly white. "I remember."

As the image of the moon blazed before him through the light he was reaching, another surge of energy coursed through his body. In that moment, his muscles began to tighten and swell, his body slowly started to expand and, as his teeth clenched and fangs slowly grew out, a hot, misty aura began to pulse off of him as his hand clenched around the light.

"I… rem_**ember!"**_ Gohan chanted, his voice deepening to a growl as his body's limbs expanded and a snout slowly began to form from his face, pushing out as his eyes turned from white to red. _**"This is my true power! The power of a Saiyan!"**_

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Back on the battlefield, just a couple miles shy of the citadel, the battle between Cooler's army and Lord Slug's seemingly endless legions was slowly coming to an end. As the emperor's troops moved across the battlefield to mop up the remaining demon soldiers, all spearheaded by their sergeants and officers, a little ways out from them Myra and Dore were still dealing with their very tough and tenacious opponents.

Having crossed each others' paths after their youngest team member had flown off in pursuit of his opponent, both the Hera-seijin and her Beppa-seijin companion had been forced into what was arguably a battle of attrition. With Commander Zeeun stubbornly defending against the adolescent girl's onslaught of ki-based weapons and the hulking Wings taking on all of the hardest-hitting moves Dore could possibly throw at him, the pair were starting to get a little bit frustrated at how persistent their opponents were being. Even after all the tricks they'd pulled out and tossed into the mix, they still weren't giving up.

On the upside however, the pair of generals of Lord Slug's army didn't look like they were doing so hot either. In fact, judging on the amount of damage both sides had taken- the bloody lips, the multiple bruises, the burns, and the swollen eyes- they were pretty close to being even.

Taking a deep breath, the helmet-wearing Dore let out an irate huff when he saw Wings clench his fists and grin in his direction- showing he was missing a fang. "These two are starting to get on my nerves."

"Same," Myra groaned, shaking her head when she saw Zeeun flex his fingers and glare at her. Since the guy had one of his top horns sliced off by the girl, the Hera could count that as a point towards her. Nevertheless, the guy was still being incredibly annoying. "Wanna swap?"

"Ha. Not on your life," Dore chuckled, smirking back at her. "I'm not giving in until I've gotten that fat, tub of lard over there to cry uncle."

Wings, hearing the green man loud and clear, frowned deeply. "Hey! What the fuck did you just say about me?"

Chuckling, the Beppa-seijin then lifted his head and called out a little louder. "I called you fat, you dumb shit!"

At this, the bulky, transformed demon general fumed. "Why you…!"

Before the man could throw himself at Dore for what was to be their fifth round, a loud screech from overhead suddenly cut all four of them off. Feeling the air tremble and hearing a loud whooshing sound, the two groups all jumped when a deafening thunderclap rang out next to them and a shockwave nearly knocked them off their feet. When all of them quickly looked across to see exactly what massive object had crash-landed next to them, the four of them all looked up in alarm to see the impressive, towering form of Lucoa glaring at them.

Embers of flame spilling off of her burning back and her wings flapping out and sending gusts of wind rushing over the countryside, the giant dragon buried her claws into the floor as her red eyes darted between Lord Slug's officers and Cooler's elite. Noticing all of them back up in fright, the transformed girl hissed through her fang-lined mouth, all the while the veins all along her body pulsed with a visible, hot orange.

After feeling their jaws drop as they gaped up at the legendary beast standing over them, Commander Zeeun- being the one to recover first- quickly shook himself out of his daze and stuttered. "L-Lucoa?"

"_**Mooore… preeeey…"**_ the giant dragon growled above the crackling of the flames on her back, before her red eyes turned towards Myra and Dore. When she recognized them as two of her former opponent's companions, the toothy grin of her snout widened ever so slightly. _**"Hraaagh… preeeey…"**_

Realizing after a few seconds of staring that this massive monstrosity was in fact their friend's opponent, the wide-eyed Dore took several steps back when he saw the dragon rear its massive head back. "Oh, fuck me dead. This isn't good."

Jaws opening and flames beginning to gush out from her throat as she powered up, Lucoa took aim down at the pair of Armored Squadron members while completely ignoring Zeeun and Wings. Of course, when the two commanders of Lord Slug's army realized she was going to attack their enemies while they were still standing there, the two of them immediately freaked out.

"No! Wait! Lucoa! You're too close!" Wings shouted in a desperate bid to try and stop the dragon girl. However, his words fell on deaf ears, as from the way their comrade's mouth was glowing, it was plain to see she was intent on following through with her attack.

The roar of flames increased as the dragon girl's power skyrocketed to new, dangerous heights. But then, just as the dragon was ready to vaporize Myra and Dore in their entirety, the dragon suddenly stopped when she sensed something fast approaching and snapped her head to the side. At that exact moment, a giant, black shadow suddenly came charging from out of nowhere and collided with the side of the dragon with such force, the sonic boom knocked Myra, Dore, Wings and Zeeun off their feet.

After hitting the ground, all four warriors gaped in shock when they saw the black mass pick the flaming, titan of a dragon off her feet, and pushed her into a mountain face. Smashing her through the ice-capped peak- as well as the two others behind it- the newly arrived giant then tossed Quetzalcoatl through the air and sent her crashing into the valley on the other side of the ranges.

After the transformed Ryujin smashed into the ice and slid across it, she quickly scrambled to her feet in a thunderous flurry. Kicking up frost and debris, the scaled beast gave a loud snarl as her red eyes fixed on the figure that'd attacked her. When she did, her gaze widened when she saw, standing before her at exactly the same height as her, a massive, brown haired ape adorned in the signature purple spandex, white boots and gloves as the members of Cooler's Armored Squadron.

Though his appearance was completely different from what he was minutes earlier and he bore very few recognizable traits as his humanoid persona, upon getting a good look at his build, his hair, his eyes, and then his battle power, the transformed Lucoa recognized him immediately.

"_**Yooouuu…" **_the winged girl growled loudly, before a grin tugged at her lips. _**"Yeeeessss… Saiyan…"**_

Myra, instantly recognizing the enormous, panting beast from where she was lying, felt her face brighten up as she quickly jumped back to her feet. "GOHAN-KUN!"

Also recognizing the furry giant with the tail swishing behind him, Dore, scrambling to his knees, threw both of his massive fists in the air and cheered. "LITTLE BUDDY!"

Despite being many times their size and seemingly well out of earshot, Gohan- draped fully in his race's signature Oozaru form- craned his head over his shoulder and grinned at the pair. He then gave them a very recognizable thumbs-up. _**"Sorry, guys. I let her get away for a moment. But don't worry…"**_ He then turned around to face the giant, flaming dragon glaring him down. After a brief moment off pause and watching the massive, winged reptile before him roar in his direction while causing the flames on her back to gush out with greater strength, the Giant Ape Gohan threw back a toothy grin. _**"I've got this."**_

Then, upon widening his massive feet and flattening a hill, Gohan swung his arms up, took a deep breath, and roared. What followed afterwards was almost like a hurricane exploding from his body, one that leveled almost every other rocky tor and plateau standing around him, because the moment he threw his fists to his sides, a golden aura erupted from his body.

This golden aura, blasting up into the sky and parting the clouds, not only flashed all of his brown fur gold, but also made the mullet of hair he had atop his head spike up, and caused his hulking form to become even more bulky. His flashy transformation, topped with his roar, was enough to have even Lucoa lurch back under the gale force winds the transformed child generated.

After feeling his body settle into the transformation nicely, the red-eyed, giant Gohan peered up at his dragon opponent and grinned at her.

"_**Now… where were we?"**_

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Author's Note:** And shit just got real.

**Canon Power Levels (for comparison):** Everything past the Namek Saga is speculation at best. Everyone has an opinion on power levels, which is why I very rarely or never use them in my stories, because it becomes a giant, big cluster-fuck without any points of reference. I'm basing all of my power levels off of the neoseeker website that I found, since I feel it's the most accurate in terms of scope and scale. So here are the power levels so far.

Mecha Frieza – 150,000,000

Android 19 & 20 – 200,000,000

Android 17 & 18 – 700,000,000

Perfect Cell – 6,000,000,000

Super Perfect Cell – 10,000,000,000

SSJ2 Gohan – 12,000,000,000

**Current Power Levels (Alter Age):**

**Ginyu Force:**

Captain Ginyu – 120,000

Jeice – 50,000

Burter - 50,000

Recoome – 50,000

Guldo – 10,000

**Cooler's Armored Squadron:**

Salza – 27,000,000

Buff Salza aka _Glamorous Salza _(Gigantification Base x35) – 945,000,000

Myra – 26,000,000

Super Hera Myra (Base x50) – 1,300,000,000

Neiz – 24,000,000

Neiz (Raiken/Lightning Fist x30) – 720,000,000

Dore – 24,000,000

Buff Dore (Gigantification Base x35) – 840,000,000

Gohan – 25,000,000

Gohan (Full Power/Aroused) – 60,000,000

Pseudo-Super Saiyan Gohan (Base x20) – 500,000,000

Super Saiyan Gohan (Base x50) – 1,250,000,000

Super Oozaru/Golden Oozaru (x10) – 12,500,000,000

xxx

Kida (Blue Fox) (three quarter fruit + training) – 1,020,000

Riko (Brown Fox) (three quarter fruit + training) – 1,015,000

Rei (White Fox) (three quarter fruit + training) – 1,018,000

xxx

Cooler (4th/True Form 100% – Post Training) – 330,000,000

Cooler (5th/Evolved Form – Post Training) – 1,320,000,000

xxx

Zangya (Base) – 5,000,000,000

xxx

Frieza (4th/True Form 100%) – 120,000,000

Frieza (4th/True Form 100% - Post 3 days training) – 140,000,000

King Cold (2nd Restricted Form) – 150,000,000

**Lord Slug's Dark Empire:**

Commander Zeeun – 25,000,000

Commander Zeeun (Armored Gigantification x45) – 1,125,000,000

Angila – 26,400,000

Great Angila (Gigantification Base x35) – 924,000,000

Medamatcha – 24,600,000

Medamatcha (Post Absorption/Super Mutation) – 700,000,000

Wings – 23,000,000

Great Wings (Gigantification Base x35) – 805,000,000

Lucoa (Base) – 25,000,000

Lucoa (Full Power/Aroused) – 60,000,000

Burning State Lucoa - 500,000,000

Inferno State Lucoa (Base x50) – 1,250,000,000

Giant Inferno Dragon Lucoa (x10) – 12,500,000,000

xxx

Lord Slug (Post Rebirth - Suppressed) – 260,000,000

Lord Slug (True Power – Potential Unlocked) – 2,600,000,000

* * *

**Characters Profiles:**

Name: **Son Gohan**

Epithet(s): _The Just, Golden Demon, Golden Child, The Prodigy, The Legendary Super Saiyan_

Gender: Male

Race: Half-human, half-Saiyan

Home Planet: Earth

Occupation: Soldier, Commando

Rank: Second Lieutenant

Hair Color: Black

Skin Color: Ivory

Age: 5

Ki type: Saiyan, Earthling

Transformations: Great Ape/Oozaru, Pseudo-Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan, Super Oozaru/Golden Oozaru, Wrath Saiyan, Hidden Power

Specialization(s): Close range brawler, hybrid, hyper adaptability, energy manipulation

History: Born on Earth and raised by his loving father and mother in his early years, Gohan quickly established himself as a very bright, energetic, and adventurous child- who not only displayed the ability to absorb everything he was taught, but also a wild and curious nature, and the unique attribute of being able to learn fighting abilities and martial arts techniques at an accelerated rate through naturally exploiting the mimicry skill.

Thanks to his wild, Saiyan side being his dominant personality trait- as opposed to his human side- Gohan found the studying his mother forced him to do to be both boring and pointless, which led to the child frequently running away from the house to play outside. His numerous adventures around Mount Paozu enhanced his development and understanding of the natural world, where he learned to hunt for his own food and search for water. His multiple training sessions with his father also fanned the flames of his natural instincts in combat and jump-started his learning in the field far earlier than his canon counterpart.

On the day Raditz arrived on Earth to track down and enlist his younger brother to his cause, Gohan's fate was forever changed- where he was picked up by his uncle, thrown into his pod, and inadvertently shot up into space. Later tracked down and located by two of Emperor Cooler's elites- Myra and Dore- after landing on a desolate, hostile planet, Gohan was brought before the young prince for assessment. When the ruler recognized the innate potential dwelling inside the child, he immediately recruited him into the Cooler Force, where his love and capabilities in the art of combat could grow and flourish.

Right out the gate- much like his canon counterpart- Gohan was recognized as both a genius and a prodigy- the likes of which only appear once in a generation. Aside from his accelerated growth rate as a child, which is normal for most of his father's race, the boy was also a natural born warrior and killer, possessing skills and potential to become one of, if not the most powerful fighters in the entire universe. Thanks to being born half-human, Gohan's Saiyan side was amplified considerably by his unusual bodily chemistry- granting him all the skills Saiyans are born with, only dialed up to a much higher degree. This includes natural traits such as hyper-sensitivity, energy-sensitivity, enhanced senses, reflexes, adaptability, and animalistic tendencies.

Gohan's senses are so sharp in fact that the boy is not only able to sense pheromones and pheromone based expressions, and other people over long distances with no effort, but also all the cellular and electric activity going on inside his own body. Even when possessing no knowledge or history of his alien physiology, through his acute senses and instincts alone the child is able to exploit his Saiyan bloodline by not only increasing his strength during combat, but also manually give himself a Zenkai boost by tapping into the proteins in his cells to heal himself from serious wounds and fatigue- while also giving himself an energy boost. This coupled with his emotion fueled energy spikes, which he also became aware of early on, make him the most battle effective Saiyan to be born.

The only side effects to his regeneration trait is that he can burn through his stamina much quicker than normal, which could potentially lead to him passing out. In order to keep his energy levels up, he requires even more food than the average Saiyan eats.

Aside from his physical traits, Gohan's understanding of fighting techniques is also incredibly high. Through combination of training with his father, the members of _Cooler's Armored Squadron_, and by himself, the child was able to develop his own signature brand of fighting. Called _**Yasei Ken**_ (Wild Fist) by Myra and the others, Gohan created his own fighting style by implementing techniques from all the other martial arts he learned into a single, cohesive discipline- including Dore's wrestling and grappling moves, Salza's textbook dueling techniques, Neiz's flexibility, and Myra's strategic, counter-based fighting forms. By mixing all of these in with his brawling style, Gohan was able to diversify his skillset and increase his range into multiple branches of combat. His ability to be able to dart around on all fours like an animal also makes his movements incredibly erratic and random from the point of view of his opponents, making predicting and telegraphing what the child is going to do next an almost impossible task.

In terms of energy manipulation, Gohan was able to learn the basics from an incredibly young age- even before being taught by his father. However, the way he can utilize the advanced techniques is about as random as his hand-to-hand skills. Aside from being able to fire ki blasts and fly at high speeds, the boy can also launch highly compressed beams from his fingers and unleash full body shockwaves at long range- able to move objects and knock opponents off balance with barely any effort on his part. These techniques allow him to take people by surprise and upset their balance, before attacking them when their guards are broken. But Gohan's most preferred technique is being able to fire energy blasts from his mouth- with his _Blitz Cannon_ being his most iconic move. He can also alter the elemental composition of his blasts by converting them to either cyclones of fire or bolts of lightning. He's also shown the ability to be able to harden his energy to create short blades, whips, and shields around his arms.

OOO

Name: **Slug, aka Lord Slug**

Epithet(s): _Evil Namekian, The Super Namek, The Immortal Namekian, Master of the Gathering Darkness_

Gender: Male

Race: Namekian (Namekku-seijin), Super Namekian

Home Planet: Namek

Occupation: Ruler, Self-proclaimed warlord, Tyrant

Rank: Leader

Hair Color: N/A

Skin Color: Green

Age: 506

Ki type: Namekian, magical

Transformations: Gigantism/Great Namekian Form, Super Namekian Form

Specialization(s): Close to long range, master ki manipulator, telekinesis, energy projection/shaping

History: Without a doubt, Lord Slug is one of the most ruthless and powerful Namekians to ever be born from his race. Though much about his past remains unknown, what is most obvious is that at the time of his first appearance, Lord Slug was able to cement himself as an intelligent and vicious adversary, with an incredible thirst for conquest.

Born on Namek under a different name five hundred years before the present, Slug started out life as a simple villager. At an extremely young age, he possessed an enormous level of talent and aptitude for the art of fighting, traits that he demonstrated when he saved his village from one of his home planet's large amphibious predators. Seeing great potential in him, his father sent the young Slug to train under the strongest warriors on their planet, and in just a few short years he was able to master all his race's abilities and then some. He was even recommended to become their elder's next guardian.

As he matured though, the young Slug's ambitions and thoughts darkened, and his personality quickly changed from a kind, inquisitive child, to that of a cruel and malicious sociopath. Thanks to a rare mutation in his race's genes, the evil that dwelt in his heart started to overwhelm his character, leading him to unlock a higher level of consciousness within him. With this newfound lust for power and knowledge driving him forward, Slug went about learning all his race's most dangerous skills, as well as other mystical abilities that were restricted by their forebearers.

Eventually Slug attempted to take over his planet and become the leader of their race. His plan involved the young Namekian recruiting a group of fellow, likeminded warriors and transforming them into Super Namekians by forcing them to fuse with one another- achieving the same level of consciousness he had. During his attempted coup, the elder's warriors managed to stop him and his cohort, and because of his attempted uprising the young Lord Slug was banished and sent off world, never to return. This took place right before the great famine that swept over their world, killing most of their race except for Guru.

This stroke of luck was what allowed Slug to survive his race's near extinction.

Landing far out in the unknown regions of space, the young Super Namekian crash-landed on the _**Planet Slug**_\- the world whose name he would adopt as his own after discarding his Namekian one. Upon crashing on the dark, icy planet ruled by a race of malicious aliens who feared the sunlight, Slug embraced the hatred and madness surrounding the world, and went on a planet-wide conquest. He murdered the rulers of Planet Slug and tortured the surviving children of the leaders for several months before eventually killing them. This was only when he was five years old. He then went on to basically enslave the entire planet and control the people's minds.

For over a century he ruled the planet and its people- creating an army of slave soldiers and giving birth to mutant children that would serve as his personal henchmen and commanders of his military, including Zeeun, Angila, Wings and Medamatcha.

However, even after gaining control of all the worlds in his system, it still wasn't enough for the Super Namekian. He wanted more. So, through help of his top scientists, he transformed his planet into a mobile battle cruiser, which he used to travel across space conquering all the populated worlds in his sector of the unknown regions.

As the years went by, Lord Slug subjugated countless worlds and enslaved multiple races, all while stealing their abilities and techniques for himself, and recruiting other aliens to his cause. However, as the decades past, his age and declining strength started to wear on the warrior. Realizing he didn't have much longer to live as he reached his 300th cycle, the Namekian considered all options available to extend his life and regain his youth. That was when he happened upon an idea.

Through the techniques he was able to gain from his multiple conquests and by taking advantage of his Namekian heritage, he began experimenting with all sorts of abilities on his own body. Through a mystic ritual, he was able to consume the ki and vitality of an entire planet's population, and with it he was able to transfer his spirit, powers and essence to an egg with no conscious of its own, taking over the newborn, regaining his youth, and making himself more or less immortal.

The planets that became the capitals of his dark empire were subject to constant rain and snowstorms, and members of the population were possessed by his dark will, increasing his power and extending his reign. At some point he managed to come across Lucoa, who he discovered entombed inside a stray meteor, and managed to brainwash the dragonoid into becoming his slave. His goal was to take over the entire universe, which he figured he'd accomplish by stealing the seat from King Cold and his family.

As a member of the Namekian race, Lord Slug was born with an incredible amount of talent in the realm of martial arts, possessing all of the abilities and traits that his race were known to have, including hyper-sensitivity, regeneration, flight, ki projection, the ability to sense energy, and being able to produce offspring via eggs. Possessing a large, muscular build and standing at over eight feet in height, Lord Slug's close-quarter skills lay in his ability to brawl and overpower enemies through sheer, brute strength. Even in his base form, the Namekian's fighting capabilities were phenomenal- able to tank blows head on, stroll through buildings like they aren't even there, and deliver crushing blows capable of killing people with a single hit.

The amount of ki he possesses is also remarkably high. Even as an aging, decrepit old man, Lord Slug still had enough power to frighten all his followers into submission and had energy reserves rivaling that of the seemingly invincible Lord Frieza. In his prime however, Lord Slug's energy reserves are on an entirely different level- surpassing not only Frieza's but also a full-powered Super Saiyan's. As he taps into his inner consciousness and draws on even more ki, his powers multiply to levels that border line the evolved members of Frieza's race.

The Namekian is also a master of energy manipulation and telekinesis- able to control and project multiple spheres and blasts at once, and pull, move, and control objects without even looking at them. This is demonstrated when he casually tosses around the powerful members of the Ginyu Force without exerting any effort whatsoever.

Aside from being able to sense energy over long distances and read people's minds, Lord Slug is also capable of other incredible feats, including various psychokinetic abilities, and the terrifying skill of being able to fire highly concentrated currents of lightning from his body that are capable of disintegrating inferior beings with a single strike. He can also conjure up invisible walls of energy to halt an enemy's movements and resist the _**Body Change**_ ability Ginyu possesses without any problems.

This last aspect is due in large part to his _**Essence Transfer**_ ability. A rare and advanced form of Ginyu's _Body Change_ ability, as well as an incredibly hard technique to produce, this skill allows the user to preserve and transfer their consciousness to other bodies- or even inanimate objects. Powerful warriors of the past who learned this ability were able to cheat death by transferring their spirit to another artifact or tomb- forever haunting those who encountered them. When used on other people, the user of this ability can continue actively living like this for as long as they wanted, by doing the same thing over and over again whenever their current physical bodies died out. Lord Slug is able to use this ability in conjunction with his race's ability to lay eggs, by transferring his consciousness into the embryo, and allowing himself to be reborn. Doing so not only allows him to cheat death, but also reinvigorates his life force and returns him to his prime. By concentrating his ki into a single egg, he's able to multiply his strength during the rebirth process and come back stronger than before.

As long as Lord Slug has eggs to transfer his spirit to, he is able to live on like this indefinitely- giving him a pseudo form of immortality.

Yeah, the numbers are pretty crazy. But trust me, they'll get even crazier later on. Just wait.

Be sure to check out my paetreon for updates on my latest projects (I'm dividing my time between a lot, particularly my comic and novel, so my updates here are going to be spotty). I finished the drawn pages for my Gohan X Zangya dojin, and now I'm in the colour process. You can view the uncoloured version for free on my paetreon, but if you want to see more of my works or want to show your support, feel free to join up.


	23. Lord Slug Saga - Clash of the Titans

**DRAGONBALL Z**

_**Alter Age**_

_Clash of the Titans_

(Otherworld)

(King Kai's Planet)

After bidding his most remarkable student in recent years, Goku, a fond farewell, the guardian of the Northern quadrant of the local galaxy cluster was more than ready to settle in for another long watch. Given that part of his job was to keep a careful eye on the region of space he'd been assigned by the Supreme Kais and the Great Destroyer, the martial arts master was more or less in the near perfect position to observe Goku's journey back down to Earth, as well as his upcoming battle against the Saiyans.

Since the man had practically blitzed it down Snake Way to return to his friends as quickly as possible, the Kai had every confidence that his boy would be able to pull through just fine. It was all a matter of him making it there before any of his companions were put out of commission by Vegeta or his partner.

However, while King Kai was waiting for Goku to make it down to the battlefield on Nimbus after successfully being teleported back to Earth by Kami, the man had then picked up several more immense power levels flickering at the edge of his scope. Tuning his senses in the direction of the large presences and stretching them out towards the very outer rims of his sector, the blue guardian quickly discovered the source of the disturbance.

King Kai's jaw dropped when he saw, to his astonishment, a large bulk of Cooler's Army going head to head with the demonic forces of Lord Slug- the invader from the unknown regions.

For the next hour or so the man watched from afar, observing as the alien prince's forces advanced on the Super Namekian's troops and slowly began marching upon his citadel. There was so much going on across so many parts of the world that even with all his omnipotence, King Kai struggled to keep track of the number of people fighting in this conflict. However, while the battle between the hundreds of thousands of soldiers was epic enough, the true meat of the show came in the form of Cooler's elite battling against Lord Slug's generals.

Their power levels were so damn high that it boggled the Kai's mind how the two groups were able to acquire such strength. Heck, from what the deity could tell, every one of Cooler's personal guard and Lord Slug's commanders were even more powerful than Frieza- a feat that went beyond what he thought was possible. The fact that he could sense them from all the way up here spoke volumes as to their achievement.

But while the fight between the generals and the Armoured Squadron was proving to be one hell of a sight in its own right, it was the battle between his student's son and the dragon girl that had all the Kai's full and undivided attention. The boy's power level was reaching such heights and intensities that it was almost impossible for King Kai to ignore what was going on down on that planet. It was like he was watching a sun going nova repeatedly in the same spot- his radiance was just that incredible.

As the battle between Gohan and Lucoa escalated- moving from one part of the planet to the other- King Kai had held his breath through its entirety- watching the boy get hit, come back swinging, and hit back even more. Hell, the child was fighting so damn hard he'd even come close to death a couple of times. It was only when the half-Saiyan hero cranked out his Great Ape transformation and stacked his Super Saiyan form on top of it that the battle finally reached a tipping point.

The instant King Kai sensed Lucoa power up her Giant Dragon Form followed shortly by Gohan, the feedback he received sent an electrical bolt running up his antennae, which then comically exploded in the man's face. The Kai wailed in shock when the flash of fire engulfed his mug and knocked him on his ass, causing an observing Bubbles and Gregory to freak out and rush over.

"King Kai! What happened?" the little cricket squeaked as he floated around to see if his master was okay.

Groaning as the smoke slowly lifted off his now frayed antenna, the blue guardian slowly sat up and shook his head. "W-Wow. I… I can't believe it!" King Kai coughed, his cheeks smudged and blackened from the resulting surge of power. "Th-That was Gohan?! There's no way!"

While Bubbles hopped about in a frantic display of worry, Gregory blinked as he floated a little closer to his boss. "What's going on down there? Is the little tike alright?"

"Yes. He's… _better_ than alright. Far better," King Kai said, pushing himself to his feet and looking ahead of him in shock. "Goodness. The boy has managed to tap into such a large well of strength that I don't even know how to describe it." A sweat broke out on his face as he readjusted his antenna and quickly honed back in on the location of the battle. "He's crossed into an entirely different realm of power that is beyond anything I've ever encountered before in the mortal universe."

Gregory, blinking in alarm, floated back a bit as the Kai slipped his hands behind his back. "Is… Is that a bad thing?"

A murmur left King Kai's lips, "Hmm… I'm not sure." The man's glasses flashed as he quickly relocated the boy and began analysing the battlefield more carefully. "What's even more incredible is that his opponent has been able to match him blow for blow… and has even been able to achieve a transformation comparable to his. That Ryujin girl… just how much more strength is she hiding beneath those scales?"

For two warriors of such calibre to both reach the same height in strength at virtually the same time, though it wasn't unheard of, was still a rarity. King Kai only hoped that the system they were fighting in wouldn't suffer too much damage.

After all, there was so much ki radiating off them right now that the guardian wouldn't be surprised if the moon split in half from just a single footstep.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Back on Lord Slug's planet)

The face off in the icy valley between the two transformed, gargantuan fighters- Gohan and Lucoa- seemed like it would go on for quite some time. Given the circumstances, it seemed like a very likely scenario:

A massive, hulking, glowing ape in purple spandex glaring daggers at a slightly larger and more imposing reptilian beast with wings and fire gushing out of the enormous spines running down its back.

When you also take into consideration their respective sizes, postures, and positions on the field, anyone observing from afar would easily assume that these two, lumbering warriors would continue to sneer at one another for the next few minutes, sizing one another up, gauging the other's strength, before proceeding to stomp clumsily towards one another to start their big, monster brawl. What else could one expect from a pair of warriors the size of skyscrapers?

However, in the case of cosmic beings from other planets, appearances were no doubt deceiving. Because as soon as Gohan whipped out his Super Saiyan transformation and stacked it on top of his Great Ape Form, coating himself fully in gold and sending raging winds ripping across the icy valley in all directions, Lucoa responded in kind. With a shriek-slash-roar, the dragon slammed her two forward palms into the ground and unleashed a blast of heat from her body- the resulting expulsion of energy causing the flames on her back to intensify and send jets of fire gushing into the sky, scorching the atmosphere.

The instant the giant dragon hit her gorilla of an opponent with a wave of killing intent, Gohan- his own rage and excitement burning as strongly as his aura- leaned forward and unleashed a primal scream of his own. The bellow of his beastly roar ripped across the entire field in the form of a destructive gale of wind, which ripped apart the plate of ground in front of him and sent chunks of ice barrelling towards Lucoa.

Although, it wasn't like the debris was able to do anything to the giant dragon, since most of the ice was melted before it could make contact and Lucoa's aura managed to shrug off the shockwave.

Myra, Dore, Wings and Commander Zeeun meanwhile, all of whom were watching in astonishment from the sidelines, were forced to shield their faces from the blasts of wind that exploded between the two warring warriors- with Wings clamping his hands over his ears from how loud their roars were.

Huffing at Gohan's cry, Lucoa decided to act. Once the boy's ear-botching scream faded, using speed and dexterity bellying her size, the giant dragon darted forward in a haze of movement. Her take-off created a sonic boom that shattered the ground and glaciers lining the horizon behind her.

Growling when he saw the dragon charge at him at full speed, the Golden Ape Gohan lunged in with a haymaker. However, due to their increased size the boy underestimated just how much distance was between them, which ended in him getting rammed by the dragon's flaming cranium and horns.

Grabbing the Oozaru as soon as she tackled him- with one arm going under his and the other hooking his right leg, Lucoa effortlessly picked the glowing monkey up, pushed him through the air, and slammed him back first into a mountain. The edifice literally sunk beneath the weight of Gohan's massive form dropping on top of it, which resulted in the boy getting pinned by the giant dragon's foot. The moment he collided with the mountain the flaming dragon then let the transformed boy have it- slashing him across the muzzle with clawed hooks that drove into his face from a high angle.

Each impact was marked by an ear-splitting bang that shook the country around them, gradually obliterating the mountain they were on as the titanic Lucoa let loose her fury. After hitting him across the top of the head, the slightly dazed Gohan hurriedly scrambled to his feet and tackled his opponent, wrapping his thick, fury arms around her and picking her up. What resulted immediately after that was the dragon taking flight with a powerful flap of her wings and sending the pair spinning across the valley- directly over the heads of an astonished Myra and co.

When the pair dropped from the sky and collided with the mountains on the other side of the field immediately afterwards, collapsing them in an explosion of frost and debris, Lucoa quickly gained the upper hand once again and dropped on top of Gohan. With the boy down on all fours, the dragon took a swipe at his back with her forward hand, her claws tearing several gashes through his spandex and slicing into his flesh. The Golden Ape yelped in pain at the sharp hit to the shoulder blade, before he was then swiftly hit upside the face by Lucoa's tail when she whipped her body around for a strike.

Being thrown across the field and onto his back, the stunned Gohan saw the dragon fan her wings once again and take off, before he was kicked in the head and knocked onto his back. Lucoa then proceeded to gain altitude fast to put some distance between her and her opponent. However, just as she was climbing towards the clouds at an alarming rate, in a surprising turn, her Giant Ape of an opponent managed to jump back to his feet, spring after her with equally astonishing speed, and snag her by the ankles.

The moment his massive hands wrapped around her legs, the Golden Ape child yanked the shocked dragon out of the sky and towards the ground. The pair plummeted together, with Gohan managing to land on top of the flaming reptile and smash her into the ground for added damage, which not only punched a whopping crater into the floor but shook the continent for miles. The moment Gohan landed on top of Lucoa amidst a cloud of frost and rock, the Super Saiyan Oozaru then proceeded to lay the smackdown on the beast by repeatedly driving his knuckles into her body and face primate style while she was pinned beneath his knees, with each hit sending out a deafening shockwave.

As the rumblings of the boy's blows rained down on the dragon, Myra and Dore- who'd spent the last couple minutes gaping across at the giants fighting just a mile away from them, then looked at one another and grinned.

"Looks like the runt is having the time of his life," Dore chuckled.

"Yeah. Perhaps a little too much," Myra also remarked, before snapping her eyes across at Zeeun and Wings. Seeing the pair were just as distracted by the big battle, the Super Hera then stood up, rolled her shoulders and swung her arms about. "Come on. I'm not gonna let my cute little kohai stand me up in this battle. Let's get these guys," she said while powering up, her green aura exploding around her.

Grin widening despite his bruises, Dore also stood up and pumped his fists, causing his own aura to spring up around him in a blaze. "Hell yeah!"

The pair's charge up alerted Wings and Zeeun to the danger, causing both generals to turn their attention to their opponents. When they did, they not only saw Dore take his familiar boxing stance, but Myra also fling her right hand forward and load up her left hand behind her. The instant she did this, an arc of bright red light gleamed around her, starting from her lower right flank to over her left shoulder. After the light dimmed a split second later, it revealed she'd created an enormous, crescent shaped bow out of ki, which shimmered and crackled as it gained mass and solidity.

As soon as the weapon the size of a car bent and formed around her, Myra immediately hovered into the air behind it and took aim with its centre. The firing end of the bow gleamed brightly as the Hera poured ki into its focal point, which inevitably led to her launching her shot.

"_**Ithil Dramm!"**_ (Moon Barrage) Myra shouted, a brilliant flash of light filling the air as she launched a cluster of red bolts from the arc she'd manifested towards the enemy.

The attack left her bow in an instant and struck the ground where the two demon warriors were standing, the impact resulting in a flash and a massive fireball that took a big chunk out of the icy valley. Wings and Zeeun, being smart enough to not be in the path of the attack, quickly sprang out of the way before charging towards both Myra and Dore.

"No cheap shots!" Zeeun roared, barrelling towards the Hera as she mounted the bottom of her giant bow and took off into the sky, with the armoured commander quickly giving pursuit. "Let's finish this, you damn pixie!"

"Ha! You'll have to catch me first, meathead!" Myra laughed, launching another couple of shots from her bow as she ascended, forcing the orange demon to dodge as he flew after her. This soon led into an interesting cat and mouse chase, in which the Hera, standing atop the arc of red energy, fired shots from the bow while keeping her distance from the angry demon.

Wings meanwhile, breaking off from Zeeun's side, roared as he charged towards Dore- who responded in kind. With two simultaneous yells, the beefy, muscle-headed members of the two factions met in the centre of the valley and ran headlong into one another. The collision ended in a catastrophic thunderclap that split the ice beneath their feet and locked the pair in a standstill. From there, the duo proceeded to push their chests against one another as they attempted to use their massive bulks to overpower the other.

Of course, being the smarter fighter that he was, Dore managed to hook his hands under Wings' cuirass, hoist him off his feet, rotate him over, and then slam him into the ground. Driving the winged warrior into the floor, the wrestler quickly dropped on top of him with his knee and began to punch him repeatedly in the face- only to have his blows softened when the warrior swung his arms up to block them. Not willing to get hammered into the ground for the tenth time in a row, Wings caught one of Dore's punches by the wrist, and retaliated with an energy blast to the man's face, which detonated with a flash and knocked the green warrior off him.

From there, the district of Lord Slug's ice planet became the staging ground for an epic clash of might between the two titans Gohan and Lucoa- who were busy smashing each other through every mountain and glacier lying in their path- Myra and Zeeun trading shots and chasing one another across the sky, and Dore and Wings grappling with one another on the ice, and body slamming the hell out of their opponents with every technique in their arsenal.

In simple terms, the scene had become a flaming hotpot of chaos, one that could be felt over every corner of the mobile war planet.

OOO

As explosions and earthquakes rattled the battle-ravaged planet, about a hundred miles away from where the clash between Gohan and Lucoa was taking place, Captain Salza and his opponent Angila were still going at it. Their fists and legs crossing in a series of blurs as the two dropped out of the clouds, the two resident pretty boys- now assumed in their muscular, hot guy forms brought on by their respective Gigantification transformations- eventually separated after attempting to hit one another with a knee strike.

Their knees colliding with a loud _crack_, both warriors were then blasted away from each other and forced to land on opposite ends of an icy plain. Stopping amidst a cloud of frost, the pair of fighters revealed themselves from the haze of their battle and slowly rose to full height. Covered in multiple bruises and sporting various cuts in places, the demon and the captain stared one another down as they returned to their natural standing positions.

Huffing in frustration, Angila raised his hand and prepared to launch a blast towards Salza- eager to finish this fight as quickly as possible- only to stop short and snap his gaze to his left.

Luckily for him Salza did the same, the leader of the _Armoured Squadron_ looking to his right as both fighters suddenly became distracted by the feeling of two enormous power levels resting on the planet.

The feedback of these presences was so intense and sudden that it was next to impossible for the two battling officers to ignore it. Even Salza's initially sleeping scouter beeped multiple proximity warnings at him, telling the man that they were in range of what could only be described as a sun barrelling towards the planet- when it was really just Gohan and Lucoa slugging it out in their newly assumed giant forms.

From the way Salza and Angila's jaws dropped at the glow in the horizon, both were absolutely blown away by what they could feel.

"G-Gohan?" Salza stuttered, unable to believe what he was sensing.

After gawking at the horizon for the next couple of minutes and watching as explosions ripped across the other side of the distant mountain glaciers, both Salza and Angila then turned back to one another. As the buffed-up Captain of the Armoured Squadron set a harsh glare on the enlarged form of his foe, Salza watched as the horned demon of a warrior tightened his own glare, before speaking up in his signature, haughty tone of voice.

"We're done here," Angila informed, without an ounce of hesitation or fear.

Salza balked at this sudden statement. "What?"

"Now that Lucoa-chan has been pushed to her ultimate form, in her current state of rage and fury, she'll likely turn this entire planet and everyone on it into space dust- regardless of whether there are friends or foes nearby," the blonde warrior informed, moving out of his stance and turning away from the surprised looking Captain. "If you have any sense, you'll leave this place as well… while you still have the chance."

Blinking a couple of times, the slightly grungy yet fighting fit officer raised his gloved hand. "Hold on… what are you-"

Angila smirked. "Fret not. We'll settle this score… one day. That is… if you and your friends manage to make it through this." Raising a hand and giving a mock salute, the horned demonic general then set his body alight with his aura. In a flash of white, the man's form then bolted into the distance, arcing across the sky before vanishing beyond the clouds.

He was gone before Salza could stutter out another word, with the Captain of the Armoured Squadron retracting his arm and clenching his fist in frustration. "Damn it."

Sensing that Angila was heading away from the battlefield where his friends and allies were, Salza quickly reasoned that giving chase to his foe wouldn't be the most economic choice. So, figuring that his teammates could use some help, the blonde, hunk of an officer turned his attention toward the horizon in the opposite direction, powered up, and shot off towards the mountains at a blitzing pace.

Aside from Gohan and Lucoa, who were currently blowing up the sensor screens with their massive power levels, the man could also sense Myra and Dore still battling their opponents. If there was a good chance he could help, the captain was going to take it.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Back on Earth)

After Vegeta had become fed up of being buried into the ground by Tien's square-shaped blasts for five minutes straight, the battered and slightly charred prince decided to come up and lay the smackdown on the Z-fighters with a vengeance. Unfortunately for him, as he discovered earlier in the fight, pacifying all the planet's defenders at the same time while they were all working together to stop him, wasn't going to be an easy chore.

In fact, the task was proving to be about as troublesome as a man trying to plough an entire field using a child's spade and nothing else.

Clearly not keen on being torn apart by the invader while waiting for Goku to return, Piccolo, Tien, Chi-Chi, Krillin, Chiaotzu, Yamcha and Launch all rallied together to keep the Saiyan Prince as occupied as they possibly could. Pooling all their strengths and abilities together, they'd been able to keep the man pressed up against the ropes and wade through his assaults. However, considering how powerful the leader of the alien race was in comparison to them, taking him out or inflicting any sort of permanent, debilitating damage to slow him down was working out to be an extremely difficult task.

So far, for the last hour, they'd hit him with everything they could possibly think of in the time they were allowed. Piccolo's _Special Beam Cannon_. Krillin's _Scatter Bullet_. Yamcha's _Spirit Ball_. Chi-Chi's _Ultra Beam_. Chiaotzu's _Psychic Attack_. Tien's _Dodon Ray_. Hell, they'd even tried many of them at the same time. But despite pouring all their energy into these blasts, forcing the prince into multiple corners, and herding him into kill zones, the man just wouldn't give up.

Vegeta's superior strength and speed helped the guy to muscle through every tactic in the book, and right now they were all starting to run out of gas.

On the plus side however, the Saiyan Prince was also starting to get tired. And it was starting to show.

Smoke wafting off his cracked and heavily damaged armour and spandex, with blood running down from the corners of his mouth and nose, a seething Vegeta inhaled a deep breath of air, before letting out a furious battle cry. Upon allowing his energy to spill forth from his body in a furious blue aura, he then dove towards a stationary Tien with the intent of putting his foe seven feet into the earth.

Covered in several burns caused by a fire ball the Saiyan had hocked at him several minutes earlier, a slightly shaken but still fighting-fit martial artist clenched his teeth tightly and swung his arms about into his signature _Crane School_ battle stance. Telegraphing the prince's approach, Tien watched the man come within range and throw a haymaker down at him. With a quick sidestep and a fancy flourish of his hands, the man caught the prince's punch, locked up his arm, pivoted around, and tossed his attacker. The result was Vegeta overshooting his mark and spinning into the ground.

With a deafening crack and a blast of dust, the prince slammed into the earth back first and bounced painfully off it. Giving out a yelp of pain as he flipped into the air, Vegeta hurriedly spun around and landed on all fours, skidding to a stop and glaring daggers across at the human who deflected his attack and was now standing away from him- locked in a defensive posture.

"Fuck you, triclops!" Vegeta barked, digging his fingers into the dirt and powering up with a blast of blue ki gushing off him. "You're dead!" He then bolted at the man again, drawing back his fist for a punch.

Tien, backpedalling quickly, was prepared to parry the Saiyan's strike as he came flying at him much faster than before. However, he was saved at the last second when, from the side, Krillin and Chi-Chi came diving in with a pair of kicks, which they slammed into the prince's side and sent him tumbling across the rocky valley. The impact they had with the man caused a sonic boom that knocked the villain out of his charge.

Rolling side over side multiple times as he covered over a hundred meters, the winded Vegeta flipped himself back to his feet and skidded to a stop. His boots digging trenches into the dirt, the warrior with the missing shoulder accents growled when he saw the bald fighter and the woman come charging at him- crisscrossing on their dashes to throw him off.

"Cut the fancy shit!" Vegeta shouted, swinging his arms up and parrying the punch and the pole strike the two humans threw at him when they rushed him from the sides. Immediately after blocking them, the prince thrust his arms out and smashed both away from him, sending the duo flying back. "Come on! Fight me properly, you trash!" the prince bellowed, staggering slightly before being forced to jump back when Piccolo dove down from above with a kick.

His foot slamming into the floor and cracking it after missing, the bruised and bleeding Namekian with the partially missing top rushed the prince with a flurry of vicious strikes, forcing the grounded warrior to dodge and deflect his attacks. Upon hitting his guard several times, Piccolo then received a vicious hook from the angry prince, which knocked him flying to the side. Stopping himself short however and ignoring the blood that came splattering from his mouth, the green warrior set two fingers to his forehead, pulled them away, and fired an instantaneously charged _Makankosappo_ (Special Beam Cannon) point-blank at Vegeta.

The drill beam left the warrior's fingertips in a flash and struck a surprised Vegeta square in the forehead, the act of which generated a violent bang that knocked the prince's head back as the beam itself bounced up into the sky. The instant it did, the attack detonated above the valley in a flash of orange light, while the Saiyan Prince flew several yards across the grass and slammed feet first into the floor.

When Vegeta managed to stop, his body slumped forward, and a gasp of pain left his throat. While an exhausted and slightly stunned Piccolo slowly lowered his fingers, the man watched as a splatter of blood hit the floor, as his beam- though tanked- had effectively left a rather nasty cut over the prince's left eye.

Eye shut, the prince looked up at the green warrior and snarled. "That… hurt…"

"_Damn it. My attack didn't have enough power behind it. I'm running out of juice." _Clicking his tongue, Piccolo then drew his arm back in preparation for an attack- with Yamcha, Chiaotzu and Tien also converging on his location for support. They then prepared to resume their battle with the prince, who they saw shakily raise his arms into defensive positions at his sides.

However, just before any of them could make another move or resume their attacks, all of Earth's defenders suddenly stopped dead in their tracks when something very strong and very terrifying pinged on their radars. At virtually the same time, Piccolo, Krillin and everybody else felt a cold chill run up their backs as their gazes shot upwards, their attention tearing away from the threat of the Saiyan Prince.

Vegeta, recoiling slightly when he saw the group's collective reactions, then heard a loud beeping sound coming from the scouter stored behind his back. Glancing behind him at where his unit was hanging off his belt, the flame-haired warrior blinked in confusion when he recognized the blaring of the scouter as a power level proximity warning.

Only this one was identifying itself as a threat.

"What the… what's going on now?" Vegeta uttered, not expecting his scouter to active while it was in standby mode.

As the Z-fighters glared up towards the sky, sweat broke out on every one of their faces when they felt the immense waves of energy gleaming in the distance. Though they had no idea what the heck it was or what planet all that power was coming from, they all had a general idea of its direction and origin.

And after gauging the distance and how far it was, all of them were stunned beyond belief.

"That power… is that-?" Piccolo gawked.

He'd sensed this energy signature before.

He remembered all too well.

The presence he'd felt over a year ago, when he witnessed a child no taller than his knees, tackle a beast that was many times his size and brought it down in a display that was as savage as it was brutal.

The energy signature of the son of the man who he viewed as his greatest rival.

The power of a child whose strength was yet untapped.

Chi-Chi, not needing to gauge the energy she was sensing twice, felt her eyes shimmer in disbelief. "G-Gohan-kun. It's… It's him! It's my boy!"

"Your son?" Yamcha asked as he floated down from the air, his arms dropping in shock. "Th-There's just no way…"

Vegeta- noticing he was missing out on something important- promptly reached around and grabbed his scouter. Ripping the unit from his belt, he then shoved it against the side of his face and switched off the proximity warning alarm. Once it was resting over his ear, he then quickly got a lock on the energy level it'd picked up and balked when the numbers jumped up onto the screen. "Hang on… wait… that can't be right-" he began, drawing the attention of the Z-fighters back over to him as he craned his head skywards. "This energy signature… the scanner says the source is coming from NGC-5866- a system on the outer edge of Lord Cooler's territory." The man narrowed his one good eye on the screen when he saw the number reach its maximum count of 99,999 before flashing an 'error' warning next to it. "But that's impossible. There isn't a creature alive that can give off a reading like this… especially from such a distance."

By his calculations, this reading was coming from the other side of the universe. The gap from here to there was gargantuan. To be able to pick up a life form from this far away and with such a phenomenal reading was inconceivable.

Upon hearing the prince's remark and watching his gaze return to ground level as he double-checked the numbers, Chi-Chi then clenched her fists and jabbed her husband's staff towards the Saiyan. "Well, you better believe it, mister! Because that battle power your scouter picked up is coming from my son! The child your ex-teammate sent shooting up into space!"

Vegeta's gaze snapped to the woman- an act that caused all the Z-fighters to take a cautious step back. However, instead of rebutting the woman's statement with an attack or an energy blast, the prince instead felt his jaw tighten and knees shiver. "Your boy… Kakarot's half-breed offspring…?" The one Raditz said he'd encountered when he came here to retrieve his brother… and the one he'd supposedly had a hard time against? This power level belonged to him. The thought had the prince's face scrunch up tightly. "Bullshit."

The human mother spun her staff around and set herself into a new stance, at the same time Krillin brought his hands back and began powering up his next attack. "I don't expect you to believe me, your highness. But unlike you, I can recognize my son's presence even if he's one or even a hundred galaxies away from me." She also swung forward her Bansho fan and positioned it low across the floor. "It's a mother's instincts."

"Hmph… well. Let's see how those instincts hold up after I've torn you and your companions to bloody shreds," the Saiyan Prince growled, steam rushing off his body before his purple aura burst up around him. As his hair spiked upwards to a whole new extreme, Vegeta's teeth clenched as he attempted to draw on more power. "I don't care how valuable this world is! I'll turn this entire planet into a barren wasteland if it means killing you wretches!"

Tien, swinging his right arm around and gripping his wrist with his left, bit his teeth and concentrated. "Come and try it!" he barked, before firing off a highly concentrated _**Dodonpa**_ towards his target- the beam leaving his finger with such force it pushed the martial artist back about a yard.

His attack was joined by a combination of blasts from Krillin, Yamcha and Piccolo- all four males launching golden and orange beams towards the enraged prince at virtually the same time. The result was their attacks converging on the Saiyan from the front and hitting his aura square on. However, instead of detonating like normal, the beams slammed into the purple field of flames gushing off their target and forced him back- the blasts splitting into multiple streams similar to a jet of water striking a solid surface.

Gritting his teeth as the onslaught of attacks drilled into his aura, Vegeta attempted to hold his ground against the combined assault. Feeling himself get pushed several feet back along the floor as the blinding array of blasts bore into his barrier, the flame-haired warrior slammed a fist into the ground and roared- expelling a shockwave of energy that ripped down the four beams and knocked the group of Z-fighters stumbling backwards.

Gasping tiredly at the spurt of energy he gave off, Vegeta then prepared to bolt forward- only to feel his feet get stuck as a familiar, paralysing force suddenly shot through his body.

"Argh! N-No!" the prince shouted, the feeling of his body locking in place causing his eyes to dart to his right when he tracked the sensation to its source. When he spotted a bruised and bleeding Chiaotzu hovering a safe distance away, Vegeta snapped at him. "Damn you, you little pest!"

His shout was shortly followed by a distant whipcrack of a rifle and a sharp pain striking the prince in the leg. Unlike with the previous blasts, a spurt of blood shot out the other side of Vegeta's right calf when a ki-enhanced bullet drilled right through his flesh, causing the warrior to drop to his knees and yelp in agony. When his gaze darted to his left, he immediately spotted Launch positioned behind a rock with a Springfield rifle in her grip.

Sporting several cuts and burns herself, the blonde woman growled in frustration at the kick back that threw off her shot and cocked the bolt, getting rid of the empty round and taking aim again. "Don't move, you prick!"

Snapping his jaws when she fired another shot and hit him across the flank, Vegeta sent his aura blasting around him and forced himself out of the psychic lock. Swinging his hands around upon feeling the invisible binds loosen, he then fired off two bang blasts from his fingertips at Chiaotzu and Launch respectively. The blue flashes were quickly followed by two sudden explosions- one hitting the tiny human fighter in the side while the other struck Launch's gun and destroyed it in a flash of flames.

The two blasts striking the Z-fighters simultaneously knocked the woman and the mime off their feet, sending them crashing to the floor. When Launch slammed into the grass back first, she gripped her forearm tightly and cursed. "AAH! Fuck!"

After launching his attacks, an exhausted Vegeta collapsed forward onto all fours. This was pretty much the cue for the rest of the Z-fighters up ahead to rush forward and jump the stricken prince. The fiery haired warrior barely had any time to look up and shout in alarm when Piccolo, Tien, Yamcha, Krillin and Chi-Chi- deciding that all this running around and strategy wasn't getting them anywhere- decided to just dogpile the Saiyan.

Being body-slammed by all five of them in the rush, Vegeta was then forced into multiple joint and body locks as the Z-fighters grabbed whatever part of him they could to stop him from moving. While Tien jumped on Vegeta's back and wrapped an arm around his neck, Piccolo- with both arms- trapped the prince's right arm, Yamcha grabbed his left, Krillin his right leg, and Chi-Chi his left foot. The five of them then, using all their strength and bodyweight, attempted to pin the short man to the floor and keep him trapped underneath them.

"GRAAAAAGH! GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" Vegeta hollered, writhing about as he felt himself topple forward with all five earthlings clutching at his limbs and attempting to rip his arms and legs out of their sockets. "AARAAAAAGH! YOU DARE… TRY TO OVERPOWER… NRAAAH… THE PRINCE OF ALL SAIYANS?! YOU EARTH TRASH!"

"Oh, shut the hell up!" Tien barked in the man's ear, veins appearing all over his arms as he tightened his hold around the man's neck and pulled back on his head. Vegeta let out a choked sound as the man began to practically throttle him, all the while the three-eyed human snarled and pulled back on his head harder. "Nobody cares what the fuck you are!"

"AAAH! DAMN IT!" Vegeta cried out in a strangled tone, thrashing against the group madly before hurriedly directing all his ki beneath him. "I'LL SHOW YOU!" Then, after thrashing against the humans holding him down, the Saiyan then blasted off the ground and took flight.

It wasn't the most graceful take off, mind you. For almost as soon as the man blasted into the sky, thanks to having five people on top of him, the warrior ended up colliding with a nearby tor, in which he and the group ended up smashing into it and forming a dent in its side. He then attempted it again but ended up spiralling through the air and violently crashing into yet another plateau across from them with a loud thud.

The instant the Saiyan smashed into it this time, with Tien absorbing the landing and giving a pained shout, Piccolo and Yamcha- determined not to let Vegeta have his way in his position- began kneeing him repeatedly in the stomach with a barrage of organ splitting blows. Each hit they drove into his abdominals generated a deafening thud or crack, which was accompanied by several pained grunts and shouts from Vegeta.

Heck, Tien, wanting to get in on the action too, unlocked the arm he was using to hold his right arm in and began dropping elbows on top of Vegeta's skull. Each blow rained down with murderous precision, hitting him in a sore spot over and over until he split the skin under his hair.

Launch, managing to get up despite her now bloodied hand, glared up towards the plateau where her friends had the Saiyan Prince pinned. Gritting her teeth, the blonde woman loaded up her legs, reached behind her belt, and drew a Rando knife from the pouch behind her. "That was my favourite rifle, you prick!" she barked, powering up with a blast of white, hot wind and launching herself from the ground.

With a scream of rage, the blonde woman flew straight towards the mountain a hundred meters ahead of her and drew back on her blade. Piccolo and Yamcha noticed her approach and quickly moved to the sides, holding Vegeta in place and allowing Launch to slam into him with a full-body thrust- her blade burying straight into the man's gut and managing to puncture his armour.

"HRAAAAAAAGH!" Vegeta screamed, thrashing about again when he felt the woman's blade sink in, before eventually blasting off from the tor and kneeing the gunslinger in the gut with Krillin- who was still attached to his leg and attempting to hold him down.

Launch, getting hit clean in the solar plexus by the prince, released her knife as it was knocked out of place and sent flying out of her hand. However, despite getting winded quite badly by the prince using Krillin as a bludgeoning weapon, the woman capitalized on her position and swiftly wrapped her arms around Vegeta's waist, locking herself against his armour-covered stomach. "HA! GOT YOU, BASTARD!"

With a scream, all the Z-fighters holding the prince then used all their strength to yank the man out of the sky, sending all of them spinning towards the floor. Vegeta let out a cry of terror as he and the warrior plummeted from the air, before crashing into a rocky hill.

As the mound of rock and dirty exploded in a shower of rubble, concealing the wrestling group beneath, Chiaotzu- who was lying on the grass out in the open- clutched his stomach as he watched his friends go after the prince with a renewed spurt of energy.

With the Z-fighters still tussling with the prince and Raditz and Nappa boxing each other on the other side of the mountain range, things were going well as far as they were concerned…

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Back on Eclipse-I)

Thunderous explosions deafened the surrounding countryside across a stretch of fifty miles in every direction- a display that was almost reminiscent to a bombardment of low-yield nuclear warheads being dropped from low orbit. The blasts shook the icy plate to its core and rattled the mountains so violently that bits of land began collapsing and disappearing into the satellite itself, evaporating behind walls of smoke and frost in the form of disintegrating rubble. And amidst the dome-shaped blasts and plumes of ice belching into the sky like geysers, the titanic forms of Gohan and Lucoa could be seen slugging it out across the open space.

The amount of damage both warriors were bringing down upon the planet was absolutely biblical, with neither one of them showing a wink or care as to how much land was being crushed or flattened in their respective wakes. They were picking each other up, ploughing each other through tors and glaciers, and slamming their enemy down into the floor with such force you could swear a shower of meteorites was making landfall.

Many a crater was formed from the pair tossing each other around, and neither one of them seemed keen on backing down. In fact, despite all the blood and cuts already drawn across their bodies, they wanted to go at it even harder.

After nailing Lucoa with a punishing hook that sent spit and flames blasting from her mouth, the Giant, Golden Ape that was Gohan leaned forward and charged right into the dragon's exposed chest- slamming his shoulder into her belly and lifting her clean off the floor. His footsteps pounded against the floor as he carried the burning dragon across the field before smashing her into another mountain. The entire edifice wound up obliterated- sending chunks of rock cascading to the floor as the Super Oozaru dropped on top of the lizard.

The impact with the floor sent shockwaves in all directions, breaking everything except for the two giants grappling heatedly with one another. It also didn't seem to offset the battle between Myra and Commander Zeeun, both of whom could be found fighting each other on top of Gohan's enlarged shoulder.

As the two giants fought, Myra- her green aura blazing around her- lay flat on her back attempting to keep Zeeun from driving one of his armoured fists down on top of her. Her hands gripping his enormous knuckles while her foot remained firmly pressed against the joint between his arm and chest, the red-haired woman growled as she held back the hulking tank that was the red-haired demon general attempting to flatten her with his punch.

"Grrr… die, you green bitch!" Zeeun snarled, leaning forward an inch closer as he tried to force his attack through her guard.

Wincing from having to hold back so much muscle and weight at the same time from such a precarious position, Myra- her own arms swelling and aching from the strain- quickly released the man's fist with her right hand and pointed a finger at him. "You first!" she shouted, her nail glinting brightly before firing off a red beam at her opponent's mug.

Fortunately for Zeeun, thanks to all the bucking Gohan and Lucoa were doing in their tumble, the Hera's aim was thrown off by a couple of centimetres, and she ended up missing the demon's head when he moved at the last moment. Her second shot however ended up hitting the commander square in the forearm when he swung his other hand up to block, which resulted in him getting launched off Myra and- by extension- the transformed Gohan who was serving as their platform.

Around the same time Zeeun was shot off Gohan's left shoulder and forced to land on his dragon teammate's neck, Lucoa -writhing like a worm beneath her overweight quarry- managed to wiggle out of the demi-Saiyan's grip, spin around, and smash the transformed boy in the side with her tail. The hit knocked the Golden Ape off his feet and sent him soaring across the valley, forcing Myra to hold on for dear life while her squad mate slammed side-on into another mountain and careened right through it.

Rubble and ice crashed all around them as the enormous Gohan tumbled head over heel across the plate before finally righting himself and skidding to a stop on all fours. Growling through a swollen face and blood dripping from a rather nasty cut over his right eye, the golden-haired boy looked up in time to see Lucoa launch herself from where she was standing, and glide across the field towards him. Her right-hand loading back, the dragon gave a mighty bellow as she took a swing at her foe the instant she came within range.

While Gohan managed to stand up, he still ended up getting rammed into by the massive flying lizard, who knocked him to the ground and pinned him beneath her talons. Trapped beneath her weight, the child writhed and bucked as Lucoa shoved her clawed hand into his face and pushed him into the ground. It was a pretty bleak position to find oneself in and with Myra still hanging off the hairs of Gohan's shoulder, things were about to get even worse.

Once Lucoa made sure she had her opponent trapped beneath her, the massive lizard reared back her head, opened her mouth, and began gathering energy at a rapid pace. The act of doing so caused the inside of her mouth to begin glowing as orange embers converged on her maw and started building into a swiftly rotating ball of energy with the texture of molten lava.

Myra, spotting this, quickly swung her right hand around and telekinetically took hold of the bow she had flying nearby. "Shit! **MANAA**!" she shouted, a split second before a red flash from her far right was followed by several red bolts shooting down from the sky to strike the dragon in the side of the face. The explosion of the energy beams hitting her in the cheek knocked Lucoa's head sharply to the side and caused her to stop short on charging her attack. When the dragon wheeled her head around and gave a roar at the large, crescent shaped bow Myra had created floating at a distance, the Hera-seijin hanging off the trapped Oozaru's shoulder shouted at him. "NOW, GOHAN-KUN! HIT HER!"

Red eyes widening, the golden ape- giving a loud growl of rage- ripped his head out from under the dragon's claw, opened his mouth, and belched out a gargantuan golden blast from his throat right into her face. His _**Dengeki Taiho**_ (Blitz Cannon) poured from his mouth like water from an erupting dam, swallowing up the dragon's entire head and neck, and proceeding to cook her in a torrent of yellow fire. The sound was deafening, and the winds generated by the blast leaving his gaping mouth was enough to cause Myra to nearly lose her grip on her partner's shoulder. And amidst all this chaos, the target of the golden ape's incredible attack was dealt a devilishly hard blow.

Lucoa screeched loudly in agony as the heat from the blast tore at her cheeks, scales, and horns, charring her badly and forcing her to finally stumble off Gohan- freeing him from her clutches.

However, his liberation did not stop the Saiyan's attack. Sitting up, the transformed boy continued to unload his mouth energy wave on the dragon in an unending stream of golden fury- his angle adjusting and allowing him to hit the titan of a lizard in the body as well. The blast broke apart and split in multiple directions as it attempted to engulf the whole beast. As Lucoa stumbled away amidst the storm, Gohan poured more ki into his attack and sent a tidal wave of power tearing up the column of his geyser. When the brunt of it struck the dragon, it finally knocked her off her feet and sent her barrelling across the countryside.

When Gohan's golden blast ended moments later- the beam of light he was producing fading into nothing- the stunned dragon girl finally tumbled to a stop. Rolling onto all fours and grinding across the ice, the simmering, half-baked lizard growled under her breath as she fixed her golden eyes upon the giant ape standing in the distance.

Zeeun- who had miraculously survived the blast from Gohan by hiding behind one of Lucoa's tree-sized horns on her head- stepped out from behind it and tapped her on the head. "Don't let that punk get the best of you, Lu-chan!" He then jabbed a finger forward when he saw the dragon glance up at him and barked his next order. "VAPORIZE HIM!"

"_**Yeeesss…."**_ Lucoa hissed, her fangs bearing in a toothy grin as steamed gushed out of her mouth and the flames whipping along the spines of her back flared up. _**"Buuuuuurrrn!"**_ With a guttural roar, the dragon slammed her front claws into the ground, buried her nails into the ice, and rapidly began gathering energy once again. Pooling it all into her throat, the lizard reared back her head back in preparation- the gaps in her scales across her body lighting up like burning hot coals. Then, as the gleam from her teeth reached critical mass, the female titan leaned forward and opened her mouth.

What came next could only be described as an apocalyptic calamity, as a blast several times larger than its owner ripped from Lucoa's mouth and tore across the countryside like a missile. The beam of brightly glowing lava expanded so quickly it dwarfed the dragon and carved a path across the valley- melting not only the ice but also the ground, transforming it into an ocean of slurry as it cut towards Gohan with the intent of incinerating him completely.

Wings and Dore, who were busy slugging each other about a few hundred meters away on top of a narrow cliff, were knocked off their feet by the shockwave generated from the blast leaving Lucoa's mouth and sent tumbling across the field.

Gohan meanwhile, after gaping momentarily at the size of the attack barrelling towards him, quickly formed a slicing hand with his right, wound it up, and thrust it forward- coating his arm in a golden sheet of dense energy at the same time. _**"HRAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" **_The blade he produced sliced right into the head of the dragon's lava blast, not only cutting it in half, but splitting it and sending multiple streams of energy shooting off in various directions as it broke against his defensive jab.

Though the Golden Oozaru was able to deflect the brunt of the attack, it still didn't stop the giant boy from getting pushed back along the ground or stop Myra from getting blown about like a streamer or a piece of string attached to his shoulder.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAH! SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!" the Hera-seijin wailed as she gripped hold of her friend's thick coat of fur for dear life, all the while watching through the storm of hot wind as the planet melting beam of lava broke apart and roared past on either side like a tsunami of fire.

What resulted from Gohan splitting the massive attack and sending its fragments shooting across the planet, was mindboggling…

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Above Eclipse-I)

Lucoa's attack was so large and so bright that it could practically be seen from orbit. Taking the form of a hot, pulsing orange beam of light, the attack sliced the valley in half, before eventually breaking apart and shooting off in multiple directions after getting cut by Gohan's arm blade. The result was the beam not only separating to different corners of the world, but several of those beams also flying off into space.

While one beam cut right through the asteroid belt floating just a few parsecs off the Eclipse-I's orbital path and incinerated many of the tumbling balls of rock, another beam barrelled straight through the right flank of Cooler's 7th Fleet. The grouping of saucers and capital ships that were currently floating in that area several kilometres above the planet were sent bucking violently to the side as the shockwave generated by the segmented beam blitzed right through their formation.

Many of the naval officers and engineers on board the ships were tossed off their feet and sent flying into walls due to the suddenness of the blast.

Cooler's Capital Ship was also affected by the beam. The main ship listed sharply to port when the beam's shockwave hit them, knocking everyone on the bridge stumbling over, with even Cooler and Zangya being knocked into the central table. Proximity and shield alarms blared all around as red lights began flashing from multiple consoles, with the deck officers and crew hurriedly rushing about to assess the damages.

"Karabast! That was close!" one of the lieutenants standing by the starboard computers shouted. "Status report! Were we hit?!"

"It was a glancing shot, sir!" one of the women on the far side of the room called out, her fingers drumming the keypad as she quickly brought the fleet's specs on screen. "The beam cut right through our right flank! But it missed us!"

"And the ship? Did we receive any damage?!"

"None, sir!" another male from beside the female officer called back. "The shock discharge bounced off the shield, but it still managed to knock us ten degrees off our axis! Recorrecting it now!"

Almost as soon as the crew went about correcting the command ship's position and orbit, a brilliant flash of light outside the main window alerted all their attention to another anomaly. When all eyes turned from the screens to the space beyond the dome, the entire deck- and by extension all personnel across the fleet- saw one of the planets in the distance fracture before exploding.

Apparently one of the stray beams being deflected by Gohan had managed to strike one of the nearby satellites and vaporize it in its entirety. The sight of the combusting planetoid had almost every person's jaw drop in disbelief, with a deathly silence falling over the ship's control room.

Zangya, managing to straighten herself into a more upright position, stared wide-eyed at the hologram screen before her and the massive numbers blinking over the two giant figures down on the planet below. "Unreal. Where in the world… was a mere child… able to summon such enormous amounts of strength?"

Based on what she could sense, the Hera guessed that the boy was now even more powerful than Bojack. Perhaps even King Cold himself.

Having also braced himself against the storm, Cooler, quickly resetting his stance and returning to a more dignified posture, promptly turned his attention to the ship's operating crew and pointed at them. "This is no time to gape! Order all vessels to crank up shields to maximum output! And order General Hara to hurry up with the next wave!" the prince ordered, watching as his subordinates jumped out of their stupors and immediately went about fulfilling their boss's orders. Upon doing so, the purple alien prince returned his gaze to the central table and narrowed his attention on the field, where he saw Gohan was still deflecting Lucoa's dragon breath. Noticing another beam carve across the planet's surface, the alien leader clenched his fist. "Come on, Gohan. Don't let me down…"

OOO

Annihilating another swath of Medamatcha's annoying clones, Neiz's lightning bolt of a form zipped across the sky for several more seconds before eventually stopping a hundred meters out from his opponent's position. Looking across the open space as his body crackled with a field of continuously pulsing electricity, the amphibious warrior in armour narrowed his eyes when he saw the clones he'd hit crumble away into ash, while those he'd missed giggled manically at him before converging on their progenitor's location.

When the cluster of a dozen or so mini-matchas returned to their creator, Neiz watched with both frustration and disgust as they melted back into their host's body, which had undergone yet another step forward in his unusual evolution.

As to be expected of the freaky, clone spawning imp, the tiny general of Lord Slug's forces had expanded, stretched, and inflated his body so much that not only was he more imposing and terrifying than before, but he looked like a bloody modern art masterpiece.

Or a failed example of one.

Seriously, the toad had twisted and overgrown himself in so many random areas that it was impossible to keep track of all the changes. His right arm and left leg had grown so much that the limbs were twenty times larger than the torso they were attached to. His left leg had popped out a couple of extra-long spines for defence. And his right arm had stretched so far that it was practically coiling through the air like a whip- with the hand at the end formed into a blade for striking and slashing. Hell, the guy had even popped out a giant wing for lord knows what, though it had admittedly blocked Neiz's charge attack a few times.

The only thing that hadn't changed was the boss's head- though Medamatcha's horns had noticeably grown several extra feet and his head had relocated itself to what looked like his right hip. At least, Neiz thinks it's his hip.

In other words, he looked like something out of an alien's worse nightmare. A sci-fi, gothic horror that shouldn't have ever seen the light of day.

And to make matters worse, the longer the fight dragged on, the uglier the guy seemed to get… and honestly it was starting to piss Neiz off.

For the past hour, the fastest member of the Cooler Force had been dashing around the mutated surrealist horror show, attacking different parts of his body as fast as he could. After about an hour of hitting his target and watching the toad regrow and replace himself for every section he had burned away, Neiz had soon reached the mental stage where he felt like he was rotating around a table, picking off random pieces of his enemy like a rotisserie chicken.

As boring and irritating as this process had become, Medamatcha's strategy was pretty sound in practice: _expand and regrow his body as fast as possible and flood the sky with as much cannon fodder as he could. _This tactic of constantly replacing himself transformed their battle from a one-sided beatdown into a war of attrition, where Neiz found himself gradually burning away energy fighting off an endlessly respawning swarm of enemies coming from the same hunk of meat.

Watching the head of his enemy slither around to smirk at him after managing to get behind him, Neiz cursed, raised a hand, and fired a bolt of lightning at the bloated toad. Watching his attack strike his target and tunnel right through him in the form of a purple beam, the lanky warrior then watched the hole heal itself and become replaced by a third arm, which spat out the demon's side and clenched a fist.

"For fuck's sake! Will you just die already!" the lanky warrior barked.

Medamatcha cackled when he heard the warrior's exclamation. "What's the matter, lurch? Getting tired?" the demon asked mockingly.

Lightning aura flaring around him, Neiz leaned forward in a stance and cocked a hand back. "Ha! You wish, freak!" he shot back, a ball of white energy forming in his palm as he took aim towards the wriggling mass of green muscle as it also took a fighting stance. "Since you keep on repairing every hole I blast into you, I'm just gonna have to vaporize your _entire_ body with one, wide attack."

In response, the googly eyed demon narrowed his glare upon the crackling speedster. "Go ahead. Hit me with your strongest move. I'm sure you'll be able to get rid of a decent chunk of me. That is… if you can tag me before my clones stop you," Medamatcha hissed, at the same time the skin along his enormous arm producing several sets of eyes- indicating he'd already prepared countermeasures for Neiz's next attack. "I think I like my chances."

Clicking his tongue, Neiz then cocked back his arm and prepared to lob a wide-angle shot towards the cackling demon- determined to get rid of him once and for all. Or at least try to. However, just as he was building up his ki into the base of his arm, the man's eyes then blinked when he noticed a very bright gleam of orange light shining over the toad's shoulder.

At first the squadron member had no idea what the heck the oncoming light was. Milliseconds later, when he saw the orange light grow closer and brighter, Neiz's senses blared at him a danger warning, which caused his eyes to widen before the man redirected all his energy to his aura and bolted off to his right.

Medamatcha, recoiling when he saw Neiz dart to the side in the form of a purple flash, then spun around when he felt something warm hit his back. By the time he looked over his shoulder, the orange gleam that'd appeared over the horizon finally reached him and, before the demon could so much as utter a surprised grunt, one of the many fragments of Lucoa's blast that Gohan was deflecting hit the duplicating fiend square on and engulfed him completely.

The green demon's scream of pain and horror was effectively drowned out by the roar of the lava blast, which ripped over the landscape and incinerated every molecule and cell of Medamatcha in an instant. Despite the beam only being a fragment of the dragon's original attack, the stream of energy was still large enough to not only fully envelop Medamatcha, but also vaporize the top of several towering glaciers and plateaus in the area as the beam of lava and fire streaked across the sky to land in a distant valley.

Needless to say, Neiz was lucky to have escaped it- with the squadron member gaping in awe as he watched the blast roar past him and saw Medamatcha's form fade away in a cloud of dust amidst the flames.

"What… in the name of Kai…?" the armoured squadron member choked out, his lightning aura fading as he watched the blast fade- leaving nothing but a fifty meter wide trench, molten edges in the ground, and several peak-less mountains in its wake.

OOO

(At the same time)

(Lord Slug's Citadel)

As it turned out, not even the great Immortal Emperor of the Dark Empire was immune to the chaos and carnage being wrought from the battle between his devoted servant and her opponent.

Up until this point, Lord Slug had been quietly enjoying and marvelling at the spectacle of his armies fighting against the seasoned, veteran regiments of Cooler's task force. A glimmer of amazement had flicked through his eyes as he watched soldiers on both sides get decimated, his army's bunkers get blasted to smithereens by the three kitsune girls darting about the frontlines, and his generals butt heads with the prince's elite on equal footing. When Gohan and Lucoa transformed into their titan forms and began wailing on each other, the Namekian thought that he was gonna bust a gut at how much fun he was having.

It almost broke the steely composure he'd kept up to that point. However, since he had Frieza's boy Kuriza sitting in the chair right beside him, and the Ginyu Force telekinetically frozen in a row on both sides of his throne, the Namekian tyrant knew it would've been improper of him to break character.

So, he resigned himself to simply sitting on his golden chair with his cheek resting on his knuckles- observing the hologram before him and the skies behind it as multiple feeds of the frontlines were played out live for both him and his guests to observe.

When the moment finally came where Lucoa unleashed her most devastating Planet Buster lava blast upon her foe, Lord Slug's gaze shot toward the horizon, where he was able to witness the distant flashes of multiple lights streaking up into the sky above the district where the dragon and the Saiyan were fighting.

Kuriza and the Ginyu Force saw it too- all of whom stared in awe at the orange beams of light ripping into the sky like fireworks. That is, until they saw a brilliant gleam occur from the location of the scattering and saw one of the massive beams barrelling towards them at highspeed.

"OH MY GOD! KAI ALMIGHTY!" Jeice cried out- an exclamation that was immediately accompanied by a hilarious bout of horrified screams and yells from the rest of his teammates. "WE'RE ALL GONNA DIIIIIIE!"

While Ginyu, Recoome, Guldo, Burter and Jeice all squirmed and kicked away at their invisible restraints as the wall of burning light drew closer to the citadel, Lord Slug- calm as ever- raised the finger of his left hand he had lying on his arm rest and shot a tiny golden ball of energy toward the air in front of him. The instant it stopped at the edge of his ship, it then expanded in the blink of an eye to form a wall.

With it, the Namekian was able to catch the fragment of Lucoa's blast barrelling towards them- a loud bang ringing out followed by a roar of thunder as the warlord sent the attack segment shooting straight up into the sky. His actions effectively stopped the dragon's blast from outright incinerating the citadel and everyone on top of it, as the trail of hot, orange lava vanished into the clouds and disappeared into oblivion.

When the stream of energy final died down, Lord Slug dropped the shield and beckoned the ball of energy he'd launched back to him. The sphere landed against his outstretched finger and was absorbed back into him.

Seconds later, the previously panicking members of the Ginyu Force all breathed a sigh of relief. Burter, looking across at the rest of them, then squawked out in a hoarse voice.

"Alright… who else shit their pants? Say, _aye_," he said, listening as the other four members of his squad- Captain Ginyu included- uttered the word 'aye' at virtually the same time. "Yeah. Me too."

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Back on the battlefield)

When Lucoa eventually cut off energy to her mouth beam and clamped her mouth shut, the enormous lizard snarled as she watched the smoke clear. Following the enormous trench, which she'd melted across the valley to where she'd hit her target, she saw the wall of dust get blasted away as Gohan's Golden Ape form came stomping through.

The blade coating his right-hand dissipating as he deactivated it, the Oozaru in the purple spandex and glowing fur glared through the mist with his angry red eyes and fixed them upon the flaming dragon that had shot at him. When he saw the beast fan her wings and hiss in a menacing manner, the demi-Saiyan widened his feet and leaned forward, planting the knuckles of his massive hand against the scorched rock in front of him.

Myra, who'd ducked behind her friend's shoulder for cover against the dragon's fiery breath, smiled when she saw her partner reset his stance and ready himself for battle. "Let's get them, Gohan!"

"_**Right!"**_ Letting out a loud roar, the Golden Ape powered up, his aura gushing off him before he loaded his legs and launched himself across the countryside at blinding speed. With a howl of wind, the child reached the giant dragon in the blink of an eye and greeted Lucoa with a big hook to her face.

The lizard, reacting accordingly, ducked under the haymaker and- with deftness defying all logic- darted under the boy as he shot overhead, causing him to land behind her and effectively switch places. When both giants spun around, tearing trenches across the battlefield and demolishing everything lying in their path in the process, the flaming dragon with Commander Zeeun riding atop her head sneered before flicking her wings forward. The act of doing so dislodged and sent a wave of hardened scales flying towards the Golden Ape like a hail of knives, all set to impale him.

Acting quickly, Gohan swiped out at them with his enormous hand and smashed the blades out of the air. The moment he sent most of them flying to the side while getting clipped by a couple of them, the boy roared and sprinted forward- thundering across the battlefield before drawing back his fist and slamming into the dragon with a haymaker. His knuckles collided with the dragon girl's clawed hand when she reached up to catch it, before she used her other hand to attempt to slash his face. But Gohan, proving himself to still be the competent fighter, managed to parry it with his arm and retaliated with an elbow to the dragon's face.

Being struck by the blow, the reptile snarled and lunged in with a chomp- one that Gohan quickly caught by ramming his forearm into her neck to stop her from biting him. From there, the two giants began to grapple with one another, their feet slamming into the ground and sending earthquakes rippling out for miles around.

As Gohan and Lucoa grabbed, clawed, bit and pushed at each other- Zeeun- who was riding atop his comrade's head, decided to act. Picking himself up, the armoured demon leapt down from the dragon's head, landed on the girl's extended right arm, and proceeded to sprint across it towards the Golden Oozaru.

"COME ON!" the man bellowed, shouting up at Myra who he could see crouching atop Gohan's shoulder.

The Super Hera- spotting her approaching opponent- extended her right hand, cranked back her left hand, and instantly produced a red arrow from thin air. The instant the bolt manifested in her grip, she let it rip, watching the large shaft break apart the instant it left her hand and fill the air with multiple arrows. She practically sprayed the shot towards the approaching Zeeun, who leaned forward, shielded himself with his armoured, spined shoulder, and barrelled through the barrage without slowing down.

Though one of the arrows lodged in his arm, the man ignored it, hopped over onto Gohan's outstretched limb, and sprinted up his triceps towards Myra. The moment he closed in on the adolescent alien, he took a swing at her, forcing the gutsy redhead to duck, before the two of them began trading punches and kicks at high speed- circling one another atop the Oozaru's shoulder and matching their opponent's every attack with a parry.

As the two of them moved across Gohan's upper body- leaping across the gap to his opposite shoulder and landing on the female dragon's extended arm instead- the Golden Oozaru blocked another attempted bite from Lucoa and responded with a swift uppercut that forced her to back off. The moment she stepped back, he then rushed forward and rammed into her with his shoulder, colliding with her side and knocking her back across the valley a bit. This then prompted the dragon to lunge forward with both arms out and wrap them around the massive ape- her claws sinking into his back while his large hands seized her waist and proceeded to crush her.

When Gohan forced the dragon into another mountain and smashed her into it, from atop the crumbling tors nearby, Dore and Wings- who'd been battling each other furiously around the two clashing titans- ended up toppling over with one of the cliffs. Falling with the rocks that cascaded onto Lucoa's tail, the pair crashed on top of her hide and tumbled into one of her flaming spines.

As the ice and rocks shattered against the dragon's hard scales, Dore- managing to scramble to his feet- rushed over to his massive, burly foe, picked him up by his armour, spun him around, and threw him into the fire gushing out of the reptile's spine. When the winged demon rammed into it and bounced off of the fiery pillar with a shout of pain, the Beppa-seijin rushed up to his falling body and tackled him out of the air, ending with both of them tumbling up the dragon's hide as it continued to writhe and wrestle with its opponent.

"Grah! Eat my fist, you prick!" Wings shouted when he and his opponent stopped rolling and wound up on top of Dore- drawing back his fist and beginning to lay into the man with vicious punches. After hitting him square in the face a few times, the green fighter promptly retaliated with a backhand across his face, followed by an elbow.

Now, not only were Myra and Zeeun fighting each other along Gohan and Lucoa's shoulders and arms, but the two hard-headed members of the warring factions had also joined in the fray- and were now gradually making their way up the giant dragon's back in an MMA style scuffle.

After much more of the landscape was trampled and transformed into shower of earthen confetti by the Golden Ape and Fire Dragon tossing one another around, it soon reached the point where one of them had had enough.

A loud boom rang out when Lucoa ended up getting backhanded in the jaw and sent staggering back into a wall of ice. Smashing into the barrier and collapsing the line of glaciers in a shower of icy rubble, the winged beast with the flaming spines snarled through bloody teeth before letting out a frustrated roar. Fanning her wings, the dragon sprung up and- as Gohan was sprinting at her for a punch- nailed the boy in his chest with a kick. Her blow struck the boy in the chin, generating a loud thunderclap that sent him off his feet and crashing to the ground.

Punching a massive crater into the ground, the boy's impact caused Myra and Zeeun to tumble off his shoulder and onto his chest, whereupon the two separated and ended up rolling and sliding along his spandex until they both stopped.

With her massive opponent downed and stunned, Lucoa seized that moment and dove down at him. Giving a piercing screech, the female titan of a reptile landed atop the Golden Ape and buried the talons of her feet into his sides- her claws digging into his fur and puncturing his flesh. The instant the blades of her toes impaled his flank, the prone Gohan let out a howl of pain, his body coming alive once again as he reflexively grabbed the dragon's ankles with his gloved hands.

Before he could so much as try to remove the foot lodged in his belly, Lucoa, grinning broadly, fanned out her wings, crouched low, and- with a single, powerful flap, took off into the sky with her monkey foe in tow. The dragon's launch from the ground was so sudden and so forceful that she generated a sonic boom on take-off, shooting up into the sky faster than any winged creature could possibly clock.

As a result of the lizard's unexpected skyward jump, Dore and Wings- who'd been wrestling each other behind her shoulder blade- wound up tumbling down the beast's back when their previously rocky platform transformed into a rocket going straight upward at over four hundred kilometres an hour. Separating after bouncing under the dragon's enormous wing and down her spine, both warriors suddenly reached out and grabbed onto whatever they could catch- and ended up grabbing the lizard's scales. They both then hung on for dear life as the sky began whipping past them at an ungodly rate.

"HOOOOOLLYYYYY CRAAAAAAAAAAAP!" Dore screamed out- his cries drowned by the roar of the winds now distorting his face. Wings did the same thing- the fat of his cheeks catching on the air like a parachute.

Myra and Zeeun had pretty much the same reaction when Lucoa took them and their platform for a ride- tumbling down Gohan's abdominals before eventually grabbing hold of his spandex to stop from falling off and potentially breaking their necks. With the Hera-seijin hanging over Gohan's side, the redhead was able to look down and watch the icy ground disappear under them, growing smaller and smaller before it and the mountains started to get shrouded in clouds.

Moments later, she couldn't see the ground at all and only the veil of clouds that covered the planet.

"D-Damn… this is crazy…" Myra gasped above the howl of wind, looking up to where she saw Lucoa holding onto Gohan and seeing her friend gripping the beast's ankle in agony. "Come on, Goldie. We can do this…" she groaned, looking across to see Zeeun holding onto a bit of the spandex nearby.

Lucoa, using powerful flaps of her massive wings while the flames gushing off her spine fired up like thrusters, effortlessly carried the Golden Oozaru off the mobile planet and up into the heavens. Higher and higher she and her prey climbed, reaching speeds that would've made any super advanced rocket or spaceship jealous. In a matter of seconds, the enormous beast had blown past the main cloud cover of the stratosphere and up into the mesosphere, reaching an altitude where there was absolutely no air and no warmth.

However, since all those traveling with the dragon had grown accustomed to the conditions of space, the slowly creeping effects of the vacuum didn't bother them at all. In fact, it only alerted Gohan to the fact that his fight with the winged female had gone from a basic ground battle between giants to an aerial battle, which quickly prompted him to take more immediate action.

After several seconds of trying to dislodge the dragon's claws the normal way, the Golden Oozaru soon gave up with a frustrated growl and, with a pained lunge, reached up and grabbed the dragon girl's upper leg. Using all the strength he could muster, Gohan- gripping hold of one of Lucoa's spines with his left hand- drew back his right fist and began pummelling her exposed belly and gut with big, crushing blows.

Each hit he landed on the reptile generated a loud boom and drew a shriek of pain from the dragon, who only seemed to tighten her hold on his gut as she focused on dragging him higher and higher into the sky. When her talons dug into his side further, Gohan growled angrily through a tight jaw and forcefully climbed up the dragon girl even more. By the time Lucoa had reached satellite orbit of the Eclipse-I's space, Gohan was alright all the way up her leg and practically hugging her hip. As soon as he was there, the boy opened his jaw and bit as hard as he could into her ass.

As a result, the dragon gave an even louder holler of pain and eventually released the boy. The moment she relinquished her talons, Lucoa spun around and took a swipe at the ape biting her butt. Managing to hit him over his mane, the Golden Oozaru then clambered up her body and hit her with another hook. This hit sent both titans tumbling through the air…

An act that quickly drew both them and their passengers to the realization that they were now fighting in zero gravity. It was a face that became even more apparent when Gohan and Lucoa, still grabbing hold of each other and locked in a heated tussle, tumbled through the vacuum of space, and right into the path of a field of meteors floating just in orbit of the ice planet.

After pummelling, slashing and biting each other through the empty blackness of the vacuum, Gohan, Lucoa, and the warriors that'd been taken for a ride on their respective backs, eventually collided with the largest meteor on the edge of the field, and knocked the hunk of stone into the cluster- smashing through and obliterating several smaller space rocks in the process.

The moment the two impacted the meteor, Gohan and Lucoa separated. When the boy bounced over the surface of the giant rock and landed on the other side, he then took aim at the girl and opened fire on her with a golden mouth blast, which missed when the dragon dodged to the side. His attack struck an asteroid rolling in the vacuum behind her and detonated it in a spherical explosion and a shower of hot coals.

As of that moment, the pair's battle resumed in the exosphere high above the ice planet…

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Lord Slug's Citadel)

Watching as the flashes of multiple, distant explosions began going off overhead and listening to the resounding rumbles rolls in as a result, a calmly observing Lord Slug rapped the finger of his left hand against his armrest as his focused on the cosmos. Clearly able to see and sense the battle that was going on beyond the atmosphere of his world between his loyal slave and her opponent, the Namekian let out a low chuckle when he saw a streak of fireballs flash across the dark of the sky- effectively signalling the annihilation of a line of asteroids.

"My girl seems to be having the time of her life up there," the warlord remarked, drawing Kuriza's attention over to him while the Ginyu Force continued to watch the holograms in awe. "I'm honestly quite envious of that boundless, youthful energy of hers. Despite having been entombed inside a block of ice for so many eons, the natural durability and adaptability offered to her by her race's bloodline is truly a sight to behold." He then glanced across at Frieza's son and smirked at him. "By removing all hindrances from her personality- thoughts, feelings, dreams, and other distractions- I've potentially transformed Lucoa-chan from a timid little pup into the most tenacious and versatile killing machine in the entire universe. There is no disputing it- she _will_ emerge victorious."

Kuriza, after staring back at the foul, evil look the Namekian warrior was giving him, felt his body stiffen. After inhaling sharply and letting it out, the boy frowned. "She's nothing but a slave. A zugal on a leash. A pawn with no free will or rights of her own." He then leaned forward in his seat and barked at the man. "Do you think you'll be able to conquer the universe with a mindless drone pottering around at your every beck and call?"

He received a quick answer in return. "I do."

This understandably, fuelled the boy's outrage even more. "The way you command your followers and demand fealty from them is utterly disgraceful. You send your men into battle… knowing full well that they are going to die. And you murder and destroy everything in your wake… just to show off your ill-gotten power. Not even my father is as vile and reprehensible as you." He then shook his head at him. "A leader who is so arrogant, reckless and commands an army of obedient yes men can never conquer anything- not even with a monster."

Lord Slug cocked an eyebrow at the youngster. "Oh? And do you believe your uncle's subordinate can defeat my pet? A boy whose skill and potential has been squandered by a man who lacks true bloodlust and ambition to conquer?"

Looking across at the hologram and watching the live feed of the Golden Ape fighting the giant dragon amidst the tumbling field of asteroids, the young princeling considered it for a moment before looking back at the Namekian. "That boy… that _Saiyan_… is someone who my uncle sent to this desolate world to defeat your armies, fight your subordinates, and rescue me from your clutches. He's a person who my uncle put his utmost faith and trust in… and whose strength has been enough to tackle your so-called "ultimate killing machine" blow for blow." Upon considering all of this, the child clenched his fists and spoke back to the warlord with both bravery and determination in his voice. "If my uncle sent him here… then I know he will win."

After staring at the boy for a few moments, Lord Slug smirked and turned away. "We'll see."

For the next minute, a tense silence fell over the roof of the citadel between the ruler of the Dark Empire and his collection of hostages. In the background, the sounds of explosions and laser fire had gotten noticeably louder, indicating that the warring armies had drawn much closer to the base. To accompany this, tremors and other quakes started reverberating up the metallic structure of Lord Slug's saucer, causing the hologram that was playing videos of the ongoing battles to flicker momentarily.

With the Ginyu Force still out of commission, Kuriza- figuring he needed to do something to change the situation- spared a few glances across at the Namekian warlord. Seeing how calm and amused he was under the hood of his cloak caused the young alien princeling to narrow his eyes on him.

So far, absolutely nothing had managed to shake this guy. Nothing had gotten under his skin. Nothing had forced him to take any action himself. Here he was, sitting and chilling out, while watching all his subordinates sacrifice themselves and do all the work for him. And because of that, he had Kuriza trapped here like a rat in a cage- unable to move.

If he wanted to even have a shot of trying to escape and leave this place, the young prince knew he had to get this guy to do something. To distract his attention for but a moment. Though he ran the risk of enraging and getting killed by the bloodthirsty warlord right there and then, Kuriza knew that if he could somehow piss him off enough and occupy him, it would be a hell of a lot better than sitting here, completely powerless.

Clenching his fists as his tail whipped beside him, the young Frieza Race member held his breath for a moment before speaking. "Cowards never win."

Saying that caused Lord Slug's left hand to twitch, which in turn drew the Namekian's eyes to him. When Kuriza saw his attention on him, the boy swore he felt his heart stop at the look the tyrant shot his way.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Kuriza hissed, his statement drawing the Ginyu Force's gazes to them when they heard the boy's calling out of the Namekian. Drawing on his inner father and mischievousness, the boy clenched his fingers and carried on. "Here you are, talking all big, resting on your fat ass on your cosy little throne watching all the action, while all of your men are fighting and dying out there _for you_… protecting you. Defending you." He then put on a brave, cocky grin. "If you're truly as powerful and invincible as you say you are, then someone like you wouldn't be hiding here and letting all those weaklings do all the heavy lifting for him. He'd be out there getting his hands dirty and showing the enemy who the top dog is. Or am I wrong?"

It was a bold statement- one that had the Ginyu Force's jaws drop, as they had no idea what the hell the young prince was doing trying to upset their captor. After their brief clash with him, the five members of Frieza's elite knew that if they were going to survive this, then they needed to stay as quiet and as still as possible.

Hopefully then the warlord would forget that they were even there and just let them go afterwards. Or perhaps Salza and his group would swoop in and save them- even at the cost of having their prides shattered.

However, here Kuriza was- a boy whose talent and strength had barely reached any sort of noticeable milestones- trying to piss off the strongest person on this planet. A person who has proven both through words and actions that he wasn't the most stable individual around. Quite the opposite, actually.

Needless to say, the kid was signing his own death warrant. Ginyu wanted to say something and tried to, "Kid… what are you…?" But then he shut his mouth moments later, as the glare he noticed on Lord Slug's face was enough to send a cold chill through even the most hardened of mercenaries and killers.

After staring bravely back into the face of his impending doom, Kuriza steeled his gut and frowned. "Well?"

For a few seconds more Lord Slug stared- the gold on his throne creaking when his nails literally dug into the metal of his arm rest and started to rip it like it was made of tissue paper. It almost looked as though he was going to reach over and throttle the youngster.

At that moment, the pair's face off was interrupted by the arrival of a squadron of the Namekian's troops- the men clad in white armour and helmets leaping up to the top of the building, rushing over, and dropping to their knees before their leader. The arrival of the men drew the Ginyu Force's attention but wasn't enough to break the staring contest between Slug and Kuriza.

"My lord! Our forces are being overrun! Cooler's troops will be upon the citadel in-" the sergeant proceeded to report yet was unable to finish.

Because the instant he got to his third sentence, Lord Slug blinding removed his right hand from his cheek, held it out towards the group, and telekinetically grabbed the sergeant by the throat. With a strangled cry, the man was picked up off the floor and pulled towards the Namekian at breakneck speed. When Lord Slug caught him by the throat a wink later, blue ki then started pouring out of every inch of his body, which then got sucked into the Namekian's outstretched arm.

"N-No! Please! M-My Lor-aaaaaggghhhh…" the sergeant choked out, before his plea transformed into a gargle and then into a hiss. In a matter of milliseconds, his body thinned and shrivelled, and his uniform disintegrated. A moment later, his skeleton dropped to the floor and fell apart like breadcrumbs, as Lord Slug had literally sucked the life essence right out of every cell in his body.

The exact same effect happened to the rest of the squadron too, all of whom could only gape in horror before blue energy began gushing out of their bodies too. As their essence flooded towards Lord Slug's outstretched hand in waves of blue flames, the men all cried out in terror before their screams vanished, and their bodies disintegrated too- crumbling to the ground like statues made of sand.

Once the entire squad was killed, leaving the Ginyu Force staring in disbelief at the display they'd just witnessed, Lord Slug felt a smirk tug at his lips as he saw Kuriza's unflinching gaze remained locked on him. Upon which, the man broke out into a laugh.

"Hahaha… not bad, brat. Not bad. You really know how to spike an enemy's ire. Ha. I love it," the Namekian said, lowering his outstretched right arm and straightening up in his seat. A gleam then hit the warlord's eye as he saw sweat break out on Kuriza's face. "However… there is some truth behind your insults. A true warrior… _a true leader_… shouldn't be sitting on the sidelines, sipping tea, and letting their troops have all the fun. They should be on the frontlines, commanding them and overseeing the battles personally." A devilish grin then tugged at the man's fangs, one that had the boy next to him shift nervously. "So… let's do something about that."

Before Kuriza could so much as question what Lord Slug was planning, he saw the Namekian turn his gaze towards the sky once more. There, the tyrant and his hostage saw the ships of Cooler Force's seventh fleet orbiting the mobile war planet drift into view of the citadel- their blinking hulls hovering in the black of space through the gaps in the clouds and floating safely out of reach of the battle zone. Considering how far they were from the action the commanders of the assaulting force not only had a perfect view of the fight's progress, but they could send in reinforcements at their leisure and adjust their formation however they wanted.

The moment he spied Cooler's saucers gleaming in the sky, Lord Slug's grin widened. "Tell me, young prince… have you ever heard of an anomaly called a _**cosmic storm**_?" Sensing the boy's eyes on him, the Namekian chuckled. "Unlike normal storms, which affect only a certain area on a single planet, a _cosmic storm_ can wreak havoc and even obliterate an entire system of planets in a wide sector. They say the destruction wrought by one of these squalls can be as devastating as the _God of Destruction_ during one of his afternoon fits." He then glanced down at Kuriza. "Allow me to demonstrate."

When he said that, the man then lifted both his hands off his arm rests, aimed his fingers towards the sky and, with barely a grunt or a sound, unleashed hell.

In a flash of blinding light and a howl of bass so deep it shook the planet right to its crumbling core, Lord Slug unleashed a torrent of orange lightning from his fingertips straight up into the sky. The stream of electricity shot past the stratosphere, entered the thermosphere, and branched outwards- shooting off in every direction so quickly that the bolts began tearing across the entire solar system. In a matter of seconds, like the inside of a plasma ball, the entire sector of space the _Eclipse-I_ was floating in became filled with blinding, deadly bolts of dancing orange lightning, which struck every moon, planet, asteroid and satellite in reach of it.

The largest bolts tore through entire planets- either cutting trenches across their surfaces or outright obliterating them in showers of rubble. As for the smaller bolts, which zapped off the larger streams, all they did was engulf the objects they struck. This included the asteroid field Gohan and Lucoa were fighting in- both of whom ignored the lightning storm in favour of attacking one another- and Cooler's Fleet.

The orange bolts hit the ship's floating in the formation in a heartbeat, striking every saucer orbiting in that region. When they got hit, every vessel and craft began wigging out immediately, the electricity coursing over them in sheets of crackling veils and sending them all barrelling and rolling through the vacuum in every direction imaginable. Though the shields coating their hulls protected them from the onslaught of lightning bolts now tearing through their ranks, the computer systems and engines running the vessels still wound up getting hit, as the surges of power began wreaking havoc across every deck.

Cooler's flagship faired no better. The moment they got hit, the giant saucer was sent tumbling out of formation, with all the troops and officers inside being tossed about like sacks of potatoes. The command deck was sent spiralling into chaos, with every deckhand grabbing hold of whatever platform or table they were on to stop themselves from getting thrown into walls. However, this didn't stop a certain few from being sent screaming across the room.

Kikono was one of those people- the poor man being sent rolling across the floor when the ship listed sharply sideways. While Berryblue managed to hover safely in place as everything around her was sent spinning into disarray, both Cooler and Zangya were thrown into the hologram table in front of them. Both warriors winced when sparks and electricity began zapping all around the ship, with the hologram itself shutting down as half of their critical systems were knocked out in a single stroke.

"Holy shit! Wh-What the hell is going on?!" one of the soldiers screamed above the alarms now blaring throughout the vessel as it tumbled from side to side amidst the cyclone of energy shooting around outside the window. Though the electronic sirens were loud enough, the howl of wind and thunder taking place outside was more than enough to deafen everyone there. "Is it a solar flare?!"

"No! A cosmic storm! It just came out of nowhere!" one of men to the side of the room cried out, his hands gripping his seat as hard as he could to keep from flying up into the roof as the ship dove sharply. "Gravity controls are going haywire!"

"Multiple power surges tearing through our fleet, lieutenant! All vessels are spiralling out of orbit and into each other!" a woman at the control station shouted as her screen flickered and zapped from the electricity coursing through it. She then began typing into her keypad. "Shield levels are fluctuating like crazy! Rerouting excess power to the stoppers!"

"If this keeps up, all our systems are going to overload and explode!" another man barked as his touch screen cracked and exploded in his face. "Agh! Shit! The panels and monitors are getting fried!"

"Internal explosions all over! All navigational and manoeuvring systems are shutting down! We have no control!" another alien shouted. "The ship will be pulled down into the planet!"

Cooler, gritting his teeth as he clutched hold of the table, then glared up through the electricity zapping off the platform he was lying against. "This is no storm! Something or _someone_ is causing this!" He then craned his head towards the screens on the wall above the bridge, where he could see the footage from the battle on the planet below flicking in and out of focus as the feeds continuously switched between the battles his subordinates were waging to the various positions of his armed forces. Upon seeing the screens bounce between various cameras, the prince then blinked when he saw- for a few brief seconds through the discharging of electricity- a shot of a stream of lightning coming off the citadel of the mobile planet. After a few more flickers, the automated cameras of the vessel homed in on the source of the anomaly and zoomed in on the citadel.

There, Cooler spotted not only Kuriza and the Ginyu Force lining the roof of the building and looking on helplessly, but he saw the cloaked form of Lord Slug himself- his hands raised towards the sky and unleashing torrents and torrents of lightning upon the sector.

Immediately after seeing the man's grinning face in the television screen before the monitor exploded from all the electricity shooting through it, the prince clenched his teeth and snarled. "It's him…" Without needing any further prompts beyond what he saw, the alien prince forced himself off his table and stumbled towards his bucking vessel's bridge window.

When she saw Cooler abandon his station, Zangya stared after him in alarm. "Wait a second, Prince Cooler! Where the hell are you going?! Agh!" She shrieked when a part of the floor shorted and exploded next to her.

The purple alien with the white cranium looked back at the Blizzard Corp soldier leaning against the hologram table and shouted, "Lord Slug… that bastard… he's the cause of this! I'm going down there to stop him!"

Zangya, forcing herself up, shouted back at the man. "Hold on! You're the commander of the task force! You can't go!"

"Just watch me," Cooler hissed, before glaring across at the window as his ship took another dip to the side. "If I don't do something soon, the entire fleet will be ripped to shreds. I can't let that happen. And besides… the prick is calling me out." Piece said, the man's right eye glinted, a split second before the glass to the bridge window cracked and shattered. As the wind inside the shield from outside began rushing in, the young prince called out. "You have the conn, lieutenant! The ship is yours until I get back!"

"Y-Yes, sir!" the officer screamed out as he remained lodged in the corner and using the walls to hold himself down.

The moment he heard the man's stuttered answer, Cooler kicked himself into gear. His pink aura blasting around him, the alien then took off from the floor, shot out the window, and then dove towards the ice planet below.

Leaving the formation of saucers and warships tumbling about through the exosphere behind him, the purple alien swung his arms down to either side of him to streamline his body, before blasting straight down into the stratosphere. Dodging streams of lightning shooting up at him from the planet below and rolling between the bolts that cut across his path, the young prince felt his body light up as he broke into the planet's airspace, quickly building up speed as he made his way down towards the citadel and the source of all this carnage.

Through the lightning dancing across the skies and the flames now engulfing his body as he powered through the layers of air lying in his path, the man narrowed his eyes on his target location, which he could see resting in the valley below. Seeing the orange streams of lightning still gushing up in space from the roof of the circular building, the alien prince gritted his teeth and powered up, pushing himself further into his dive and plummeting towards the planet like a missile.

Lord Slug, who continued to feed power into the lightning storm gushing out of his hands, inevitably spotted the bright glint of the approaching alien in the sky. Seeing the object drawing closer and closer at high speed, the Namekian warlord then narrowed his eyes when he sensed the enormous power level radiating off it.

Seconds later, when the fireball drew close enough for him to make out the person inside of it, a hoot of a laugh ripped from his throat.

Cooler, drawing close enough to see the Namekian, bared his teeth before screaming at the top of his lungs. "SLUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUG!"

"At last," the Namekian exclaimed, cutting off energy to his lightning storm in an instant.

Still tearing towards the fiend at several times the speed of sound, Cooler swung his right hand forward, extended his finger, and fired a blinding pink _**Death Beam**_ towards the green warrior. In response, the green warrior extended his own finger and fired a golden beam in return, a grin remaining plastered on his face as the head of his attack collided with the prince's, which immediately resulted in an energy tug of war match between the approaching Cooler and the stationary Lord Slug.

As the two beams drilled into one another, causing a blinding glimmer to rip out from where the attacks met, the cosmic storm raging above the planet ceased, and the battle between the two leaders began.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Author's Note:** It's always good to get clarification for certain events, especially since this story has gone so far off the tracks it's in its own realm of retelling the DBZ story.

**Cooler's Armored Squadron – Abilities:**

**Salza** – Multi-Specialist type, close to long range, duelling, hand-to-hand combat and energy manipulation/energy sharpening

Energy Barrages

Finger Beams

Energy Discs

**Energy Blades (Salza Blade)** – _His signature attack, where he produces a field of energy around his arm and sharpens it to that of a monofilament blade capable of cutting through almost anything_

**Dual Salza Blades** – _Salza produces two blades around both arms for both attack and defence_

**Hyperextended Blade** – _Salza extends and stretches the length of his blade to a significant distance_

**Salza Blade Rifle** – _Where in he produces his signature arm blade and rapid fires at at long range_

**Concentrated Gigantification (Glamorous Salza) –**An advanced form of Gigantism where Salza increases the output of ki to his muscles that alters his body structure, increasing his power and strength without sacrificing speed

XXX

**Myra **– Specialist/Counter type, mid to long range, counter-attacking and strategy-based fighting

Counter-punching

Pressure point/Nerve point attacks

Energy Barrages

Energy Constructs

**Energy Tools** – _Myra creates a variety of weapons by hardening her ki, including swords, staffs, small blades, whips and chains_

**Psycho Threads –** _Myra creates a net/barrier of wires capable of ensnaring victims and rapidly draining them of energy_

**Stasis Cloud – **_Myra creates a thin cloud of ki around the victim to stop their movements_

**Manaa – **_Crescent Moon in her language, this ability involves Myra creating a gigantic bow-shaped energy construct and solidifying it, which she can use to fight, fly, surf, and launch concentrated energy bolts from the head_

**Super Hera –** A transformation like a Super Saiyan that multiplies her ki output to increase her battle power fifty-fold

XXX

**Neiz – **Unorthodox type, mid to long range, hit and run, out-fighting, flexibility, elemental and chemical manipulation

Energy Barrages

Limb retraction/dislocation

**Stun Lock** – _By altering the chemical structure of his ki, Neiz can launch a concentrated blast of electricity to electrocute, stun and potentially kill opponents_

**Lightning Storm –**_An upscale version of his Stun Lock, Neiz can unleash a storm of electrical bolts on the enemy, either from his own body or drawing them from the clouds_

**Raiken (Lightning Fist) –**_By super-charging his body with his own lightning, Neiz increases his power and speed several times, to the point enemies lose sight of him completely. The upscaled version of this move is his __**Super Raiken.**_

XXX

**Dore – **Brawler type, close to super-close range, wrestling, grappling, joint locking techniques

Energy Barrages

Body tackles

Body locks

Arm/leg locks

Throwing and tossing

**Quarter Nelson/Half Nelson/Full Nelson/Bobby Nelson** – _A series of body holds in which Dore locks down his opponent to either crush them or knock them unconscious, with the last Nelson- affectionately dubbed the __**Bobby Nelson**__after Dore used it on a man named Bobby- involving him beating an opponent into submission by holding another enemy by the leg and repeatedly hitting the other guy over the head with them like a sledge hammer _

**Dore Suplex – **_A move where Dore grabs the opponent from behind and slams them into the floor head first_

**Dore Breaker –** _A move where Dore drops on an opponent from up high and lands on top of them with a dropping elbow_

**Dore Slam – **_A move where Dore drops on top of an opponent from a high altitude, lands on them with his full body, and ruptures the ground on impact_

**Dore Bomber** – _A wrestling move where Dore pile-drives an opponent into the ground with devastating force_

**Dore Can Opener Attack** – _In which Dore grabs an opponent by the skull and proceeds to crush them until they either lose consciousness or their head explodes_

**Gigantification –** A technique where Dore increases his power by altering the structure of his body and increasing his muscle mass. While there is a small sacrifice in speed, Dore isn't hampered by this weakness at all. In fact, his speed actually increases.

XXX

**Gohan** – Hybrid type, close to mid range, hit and run flurry attacks, hyper adaptability, mimicry

Energy Barrages

**Energy Gauntlets **– _Gohan creates energy shields around his arms, which allow him to produce short swords and barriers around his limbs to either strike or block attacks_

**Demonic Whips –** _Gohan produces two, dense energy whips from his hands, which he then uses to strike opponents at long range with long, flexible blade-like strikes_

**Dengeki Taiho (Blitz Cannon)** – _Gohan's special attack, where he fires a highly concentrated mouth energy wave at the opponent with destructive force_

**Kōsen (Light Ray) – **_Another of Gohan's signature movies- a piercing energy blast fired from Gohan's finger. More deadly and destructive than the standard Kamehameha wave- just like the Dodon Ray- Gohan can fire the Kōsen at a moment's notice with very little charging time. He can also fire from both fingers simultaneously with rapid succession. He can also fire more powerful, amped up versions of the technique where the golden bolts are launched in clusters and widespread shots_

**Oozaru/Great Ape Form** – By looking at a full moon, Gohan is able to undergo the Saiyan's basic transformation to unlock his Saiyan side's true consciousness and primal power. Due to his training with Myra to master both his energy control and battle concentration, Gohan is able to initiate the transformation without looking at a full moon or having one present, but by merely drawing on the residual _**blutz radiation**_ stored in his body from previous, even occasional exposure to moon light.

**False-Super Saiyan – **A halfway point of the legendary transformation, where Gohan taps into his dormant abilities for an explosive burst of power and speed

**Super Saiyan** – The legendary Saiyan transformation that multiplies Gohan's speed, strength and power fifty fold

**Super Oozaru/Golden Ape Form **– A form where Gohan combines his Super Saiyan transformation with that of the Great Ape, where his speed and power are multiplied even more considerably than with the transformations on their own. Though this form is the natural precursor to the _**Super Saiyan 4 form (Alpha Saiyan Form) **_\- and the rival to the _**Super Saiyan God Form**_\- Gohan has yet to reach the level of consciousness and skill to unlock the evolution

* * *

**Saiyan Forms Characters can potentially unlock:**

Oozaru (Great Ape)

Wrath Form (Wrath Saiyan)

Pseudo-Super Saiyan (False Super Saiyan)

Super Saiyan

Super Saiyan Grades 2 & 3 (Ultra Saiyan)

Super Saiyan 2 (Ascended Saiyan)

Super Saiyan 3 (Majestic Saiyan)

Super Oozaru/Golden Oozaru (Golden Great Ape)

Legendary Super Saiyan (Berserker Saiyan)

Super Saiyan 4 (Alpha Saiyan) – On par with Super Saiyan Blue (and before anyone else start blithering on about how SSJ4 isn't on par with Super Saiyan God, watch **Dragonball Heroes**. Cumber made sport of SSJG Goku when he was in base form, but was pressed when SSJ4 Goku and SSJ4 Vegeta stepped onto the scene).

Super Saiyan God

Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan (Super Saiyan Blue or Rose, depending on spirit purity)

Ultra Instinct

Nova Saiyan (A separate branch of Saiyan transformation akin to a celestial anomaly, which is on par with Ultra Instinct, and a form that Gohan will later learn to rival his father)

Super Nova Saiyan


	24. Lord Slug Saga - Deliverer of Darkness

**DRAGONBALL Z**

_**Alter Age**_

_Deliverer of Darkness_

A bright flash of an explosion detonated above Lord Slug's citadel, causing a shockwave to rattle the building and stagger anything standing within range. While Kuriza and the Ginyu Force- trapped in their respective positions on the roof- were forced to shut their eyes and turn away from the gale, the Namekian warlord merely lowered his arm and smirked at the concussive waves that struck him.

As for Cooler, the prince wasn't as unscathed. The kickback from his own _Death Beam_ detonating against Slug's finger beam knocked him out of the air and sent him barrelling towards the icy valley below. Managing to correct himself with a few head over heel spins, the young emperor managed to slam both feet into the ground and slide to a stop amidst a cloud of ice and frost. When he finally halted a hundred or so meters out from the black dome that served as the enemy's stronghold and command centre, the purple warrior glared up towards the roof and gnashed his teeth in frustration.

Lord Slug, noticing the enraged look being directed at him from the young prince, chuckled as he propped his left arm on the rest of his throne, before leaning his cheek against his knuckles once again. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to finally come down from your ivory tower, prince… and here you are," the Namekian exclaimed, loud enough for his voice to reverberate across the entire area. "It is an honour to finally meet you."

Cooler scoffed at that statement as he slowly stood up. "I'm sure it is."

Realizing who it was that'd dropped down from the sky amidst his captor's lightning storm, the young Kuriza's face lit up with joy as he leaned forward. "Cooler-jiji!"

Glancing across at the boy on the chair beside the warlord, the emperor of the quadrant cracked a small smile. "Hey, kid. Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah," the child responded with a vigorous nod. "I'm alright."

"Good. Don't worry. I'll have you away from him in a moment," Cooler replied calmly, before once again turning his ire towards Lord Slug in the form of a glare. Quickly analysing the cloaked individual as he sat there on his golden throne with his cheek resting against his knuckles, the purple alien felt his tail whip behind him angrily for a moment before a sharp exhale left his lips. "This farce has gone on long enough. I'm putting a stop to this war once and for all."

"Hmm… do you think you can do it?" Lord Slug asked, a smile on his face as he continued to glare down at the alien staring back up at him. "Go ahead. Give it your best shot. But a word of caution… defeating me won't be as easy as you might think." Bringing his right hand up, the Namekian then waved it casually through the air. When he did, multiple flashes went off around him before the air around his throne became filled with several orange energy orbs. As soon as they manifested, electricity began zapping between them and their surfaces also trembled and warped in a very liquid manner. "I'm completely different from any other creature you've ever faced before."

Cooler grunted in response, "You sure about that?"

"I am," Slug answered coolly, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Don't believe me? Then let's put a bet on it. If you can manage to land a single scratch on my body, I'll face you earnestly in combat."

Narrowing his eyes so that they flashed dangerously, the purple prince clicked his tongue before snarling. "Alright. I accept your challenge." Clenching his fists, the leader of the empire then let out a roar as the air around him began to vibrate and spin around him at an accelerated rate. Stirring his ki, the man caused his energy levels to spike drastically, which resulted in his body buffing up and growing sharply.

The paralysed Ginyu Force and Kuriza then all watched in amazement as Cooler underwent a startling metamorphosis. Not only did his height and size increase to double- even triple- to what he originally was, but the purple alien's white carapace plates also expanded, he grew spines on his back and behind his forearms, his crown stretched out to form a series of four horns, and his eyes turned completely red.

The transformation took all of ten seconds and by the time he'd finished, ice and stone were floating all around him, as the energy he was giving off had magnified to the point that gravity had momentarily distorted around him.

The sight startled Kuriza and the members of the Ginyu Force, with Jeice giving out a well-earned 'holy moly'. Whereas Lord Slug on the other hand cocked a brow when he noticed how much Cooler's ki had shot upwards.

"Ooh… fascinating. So, you've managed to achieve a state beyond your race's contemporary base form? I must say, I'm impressed," Lord Slug remarked, before his mocking smirk returned full force and the plasma balls hovering around him continued to crackle and spark over the heads of his hostages. "But if you think that transformation is going to help you overcome this obstacle, you're sadly mistaken."

In response, Cooler scoffed, his voice now noticeably far deeper and scarier than before. "We'll see about that!" With a grunt, a white mask popped up over the lower half of his face with a snap, completing his Fifth Form and the fourth transformation in his arsenal. Following that, the man let out a roar as he bolted forward- launching himself from the ground so fast and with such force that the ice shattered and exploded behind him.

As frost belched into the air, Cooler rocketed towards Lord Slug- drawing his right fist back for a power shot. The moment he came within range, the transformed alien swung in with a punch, expecting to blow past Slug's plasma balls and cave in his face.

However, the moment he attacked, something completely unexpected happened. Cooler's fist wound up colliding with something that felt like a brick wall, a wave of air rippling outwards as his attack's power and body's momentum was stopped dead in its tracks. As the prince pushed forward, the alien's eyes widened in alarm when he saw that a transparent, telekinetic barrier had jumped up directly in front of Lord Slug just a couple of feet from his face- preventing his attack from going through.

"What?!" Cooler shouted, his muscles bulging as he attempted to force his punch through the steep wall of air that'd formed in front of him as his energy output caused the area to shake and the wind to tear across the icy field in all direction. "GRAAAAAGH!"

Lord Slug, snickering at the sight of the emperor attempting to force his way through the barrier, kept his cheek resting comfortably on his knuckles while his right hand remained extended. "Come now, prince. You're gonna have to try a lot harder than _that_," the Namekian remarked, sparks flying off his extended right hand as the barrier before him shimmered against Cooler's fist.

After watching Cooler struggle for a few more seconds, the green tyrant then rotated his right hand and flicked his fingers. The act of doing so caused one of the orange plasma balls hovering next to him to fly forward, stop directly in front of Cooler and- in a rather unorthodox display of masterful control- unleashed several spikes on the prince.

The act of doing so hit the emperor of the PTO square on, generating a sudden shockwave that knocked Cooler flying back with a yelp of pain. When the prince plummeted towards the icy valley several hundred feet from the saucer, the man performed a quick flip and slammed into the ground. By the time he stopped and looked up with a few nasty cuts to his face and chest, Lord Slug had already begun hiss next attack.

"The fun is just getting started!" the Namekian exclaimed, before clenching his right fist, opening it, and then lazily waving it forward.

This telekinetically caused the multiple plasma balls to form together into the spiky one, which immediately expanded in size and increased in intensity. The moment all the smaller spheres merged into its mass, the orange, pulsing ball of energy suddenly lit up brightly before sending a highly concentrated, purple beam of cutting energy shooting out of its eye and towards Cooler.

The emperor barely had enough time to spring into the air when the sharp beam shot past him and sliced across the valley like a sword. The effects generated by the lightspeed blade were devastating, as the attack sliced the tops off an entire range of mountains lining the horizon behind the emperor. When they were cut, the perfectly cut peaks all lifted into the air before detonating one after the other, as Lord Slug's attack inflicted its damage upon the region.

When the transformed Cooler looked back and saw the beam decapitate the mountain ranges, his eyes widened in disbelief. "No way…" He then quickly looked back down at the citadel below him, where he saw the plasma ball Lord Slug had formed split up into five spheres, with four of those spheres immediately forming into multiple orange lances.

"How about this?" Slug shouted, before the four spears broke apart and flew towards the airborne Cooler in a spray of tiny splinters of energy.

In response, the young emperor darted to the side as fast as he could, firing off a wave of energy towards the oncoming barrage of needles and wiping out a swath of them in a big, fiery explosion. The rest of the salvo that he missed homed in on him, forcing Cooler to change directions drastically and get the hell out of the way of the volley as fast as he could to avoid getting impaled.

Lord Slug staggered the launch of the needle waves, sending them after his target in small handfuls at a time. Watching Cooler dart around the sky, desperately trying to stay away from them, drew a laugh of amusement from the Namekian, who continued to casually wave his right hand at the prince and send energy attacks into the sky at his leisure. During which time the green warrior mentally formed a couple more plasma balls behind him, which crackled and pulsed while he kept his foe's attention on evading.

Kuriza meanwhile, watching helplessly from his seat along with the members of the Ginyu Force on either side of him, clenched his teeth in frustration while his fingers curled tightly on the arm rests.

"_Come on, uncle. You can do it,"_ the boy thought, quickly saying a quick prayer to the Kais that his family member would be able to overcome this challenge._ "You can beat him."_

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Back on Earth)

Raditz let out a gutsy yell as he launched the concentrated rounds of his signature _Double Sunday_ across the battlefield, sending the two golden spheres spiralling across the valley to strike Nappa head on.

Just being able to respond in time, the bald warrior in the crumbling armour and weakened stance swung up both his arms to receive the attack against his guard. A split second later, a fiery explosion and a deafening clap rang out, sending out a shockwave that cratered the earth beneath Nappa's boots.

When the fire that belched out from the attack's impact immediately transformed into a cloud of smoke, an exhausted Raditz let out a heavy gasp, watching as the wall of dust parted and his opponent remerged from it. However, unlike in previous battles, Nappa didn't come out of this one unscathed- a fact that was further hammered home when the remains of his armour cascaded to the floor, leaving him in only his black shorts, arm guards and boots. The two energy spheres going off against him had also left even more burns in his body, which could be seen through all the smoke now rising off him.

Slowly uncrossing his arms from his bloodied, swollen face, the veiny, bulked up Nappa let out a growl of his own as his eyes landed on his slightly less damaged opponent. Spitting out the blood in his mouth, the Frieza officer spoke. "I have to admit… you've got a hell of a lot more pep in your attacks compared to last time, little Raditz. Not bad."

Ignoring the blood dripping from his own mouth, the bruised Saiyan grunted and drew back his right hand. "Hmph. That's because I've been training my ass off for the past twelve months. All the while you've been busy slacking off and planet-hopping across the cosmos with his royal ass-ness," the Saiyan rogue responded.

Nappa chuckled at this remark- particularly the sleight towards his boss. But he nevertheless went along with his former colleague's banter. "No wonder you're being more annoying than usual. Heh. You're actually making me _work_ for my win this time…" He then cocked his head to the side and cracked his neck. "There haven't been many opponents I've come across that've pushed me this far in a fight before. So that automatically gets you a few extra points in my book."

As he stood there, locked in his stance, Raditz began gathering energy into his loaded fist. At the same time, his dark eyes narrowed on his former colleague. "Thanks to my brother's friends and rivals, I've managed to reach heights I never would've dreamed of achieving before on Planet Vegeta. Hell, thanks to their help, I've even managed to surpass _you_… my former commander and trainer."

"Hah. You wish, pal," Nappa scoffed, before then clenching his fists and standing upright. "Just because you managed to knock me a few good ones, doesn't mean you should be getting full of yourself. As if I'd ever let a mid-class warrior ever get the best of me in a fight. Take my advice, Raditz… stick to your weight-class. It's not worth trying to play at something you're not."

Huffing confidently, the long-haired fighter put on a smirk as pink energy crackled around his palm. "You should take your own advice, Nappa." He then nodded towards the simmering warrior holding the horse-riding stance ahead of him. "You may act tough, but I can tell you're on your last legs and close to running out of gas. From what I can sense, it'll probably only take a handful or more hits from me to drop you for good."

"Oh yeah?" Nappa shot back, before clenching his teeth, concentrating, and allowing his energy to rapidly spike again. His muscles swelling and veins pulsing as a result of his power coursing through his body, the bald warrior began gathering ki in his hand an alarming rate, causing a cloud of golden lightning to start sparking around him. Earth trembling, the man then opened his left hand and produced a bright, glowing ball above his palm- a sight that put Raditz on immediate guard. "Hah! If you're so sure I'm done, then why don't you come over here and put an end to this! Right now!"

Raditz, sliding a foot back as he felt the tremors increase, frowned across at his colleague as he observed him as he charged yet another _Bomber DX_. "I've seen that move too many times, Nappa! If you throw that at me, I'm just gonna dodge it and counter you right afterwards! And it's not gonna be pretty!"

Grinning broadly in a cocky manner, Nappa then wound up the arm he was pouring all his energy into and sneered. "You think so, huh?" he asked, his body trembling as his energy levels skyrocketed, causing his opponent to balk in alarm. "Who said I was going to throw _this_ at you?! I can just as easily lob this straight into the ground and level this entire countryside… catch you in the process!"

Eyes widening, the Saiyan rogue felt his jaw drop slightly. "You wouldn't…?"

Nappa cackled at the surprised look on his face, "I may not be able to hit you directly, but this should definitely do dramatic amounts of damage to the planet's face if I angle it right!" he yelled, the lightning bolts dancing off his body now starting to zap off of his hand and begin scorching the floor. As trails of electricity ran up and down his bulging arm, the bald officer grinned. "Heck… I just might even take a few of your friends out in the process!"

Opening his mouth wider, Raditz was prepared to call out some sort of plea. However, just before he could get a word out, he spotted something behind his opponent, which in turn caused him to stop short. His surprised expression then transformed into a grinning one.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that…"

Before Nappa could say something about his opponent's odd remark, a sharp pain suddenly cut right through his stomach and caused his body to seize up. A spurt of blood splattering through the air as something sharp and curved burst out his gut, the man stopped charging his attack and the energy he'd been building dissipated. Body shaking, the Saiyan staggered forward with a gasp, reaching down with his hands to grasp at the object now sticking out of his gut, which looked suspicious like the pointy end of a katana.

"W-What the fuck…" Nappa gasped, before shakily looking behind him to see who or what had attacked him. When he did, the man saw to his surprise a short, portly man with an orange, pin-striped gi and black, messy hair standing behind him with a nervous glare set on his face. Blinking at the sight of Yajirobi, the bald warrior choked out a startled exclamation. "Who… the hell-"

Before anymore words could come gargling out of his mouth, a stunned Nappa spun back around to see where Raditz was, only to see a fist flying right at him. Too shocked to react, the last thing the bald warrior saw was his whole world going black and a loud gunshot echoing through his ears. Getting hit clean in the face, the big Saiyan general was knocked off his feet and sent flying through the air, before crashing to the ground several yards away.

When the dust settled following his slide through the dirt, it revealed Nappa lying unconscious on the floor, a dumb look on his bludgeoned face and a katana run all the way through his torso.

After leaping back to avoid getting taken out by the Saiyan's body, Yajirobi whistled at the now immobile form of the invader lying helplessly on the ground. "Damn. Nice punch, dude."

Raditz, panting for breath, brought his fist down to his side and straightened up. Sighing in relief, the man in the vest and gi pants rolled his shoulder. "Thanks." He then glanced across at the human warrior and frowned. "The fight started over an hour ago. Where've you been this whole time?"

Huffing indignantly, the man in the orange robe gestured over his shoulder. "I was over in East City… checking out the pods that landed there. These two jerks took out half the town in one go and wiped out a whole bunch of people. I had to see if there was anything I could do to help."

This of course was only half-true. While Yajirobi had certainly gone to East City, it wasn't out of the goodness of his heart, but as a way of trying to avoid getting involved in the early stages of the battle.

Unlike his colleagues, he wasn't as confident in his fighting skills against the otherworldly invaders, and thus decided to take a time out instead of heading over here directly to assist.

Raditz, though finding the man's reasoning a little farfetched, decided to let it slide for now and simply nodded in understanding. He then looked back across at the defeated Nappa and sighed. "Well… even though you're late, you managed to help me out in the end. My old comrade was a lot more stubborn than I was expecting. Thanks to you, I didn't have to waste anymore energy trying to take him out. You saved me a lot of time."

Placing his fists on his hips, Yajirobi stuck out his chest and smiled proudly. "You're welcome, I guess." He then turned his beady eyes to the fallen warrior and blinked at his hulking, unconscious frame. "So… what now? Are you gonna finish him off… or what?"

Staring down at his out cold, ex-colleague, Raditz scrunched his bruised face up and pondered on the question for a moment. After a little while, the long-haired older sibling shook his head. "No. We need him alive."

Shaking his head, the pudgy fighter looked up at the Saiyan in alarm. "Huh? Why?"

"Because if I'm right about this, this whole thing is just the start of an even tougher battle to come," Raditz explained, looking over at the human warrior and frowning at him. "And we're gonna need all the help we can get if we're gonna stand a chance."

Yajirobi blinked as he stared at Goku's brother in confusion, watching him adjust the brace around his wrist. "A… tougher battle? What exactly do you mean by that?"

The Saiyan frowned. "You see my friend here and I… we were part of the _Frieza Force_. And I'll bet from my cancelled paycheck that we're gonna be going up against my former boss in the near future."

OOO

A loud scream rang out when Yamcha was sent flying back across the valley from a flash of an explosion. Trailing smoke, his body collided with the grass after passing between the battered and exhausted Piccolo and Krillin, both of whom looked behind them in alarm to see the long-haired warrior roll onto his side and clutching his left arm.

Or at least what was left of it.

Following the Z-fighters' semi-successful wrestling match against the Prince of all Saiyans, in which all of them had attempted to overpower the villain with sheer numbers, the battle soon carried over to a new part of the mountain ranges. After demolishing a few more plateaus and tors in the wake of their ongoing bout, the invader- now spent of almost all his energy- tried one last time to break through their ranks.

Vegeta had managed to ward off the assaults from Piccolo, Tien and Chiaotzu successfully, but still managed to get hit by Chi-Chi when she deflected a blast back at him using the _Bansho Fan_. After getting singed by his own attack, he then rushed forward to try and nab her, but was blindsided by another Kienzan thrown by Krillin and a barrage of gunshots from a staggering Launch. The moment he stopped, Yamcha then took it upon himself to hit him with aflurry of his _Wolf Fang Fist_ up close.

However, before the human could land his first blow upon the distracted warrior, the prince suddenly wheeled around and fired a quick bang blast in his direction. Due to the angle Yamcha was diving in from, instead of getting hit in the chest like the attack was intended, the man got hit in his left hand instead. The result was an explosion going off at point blank range that sent the human male flying back.

Now, thanks to his failed sneak attack, Yamcha was lying on the ground, gripping the stump that was the remains of his catching hand. Clenching his teeth and suppressing several screams of agony, the scar-faced warrior then took a moment to calm himself down and bite down the pain now shooting up his limb.

Due to the intense heat of the blast, his wound had cauterized and any bleeding that would've resulted from such a gory injury had been stopped.

"Yamcha! Are you okay?!" Tien shouted from where he was standing, looking a little bit more well-off compared to the rest of his compatriots.

Cracking an eye open, the man with the black mane of hair nodded his head vigorously. "Agh! Y-Yeah! No! I mean… I think I fucked up, guys…"

Vegeta, on his knee and still pointing his fingers in the direction he'd hit his foe, gasped for breath as he looked around the area at all those who were still on their feet. During which time, he began taking stock of all the damage he'd managed to inflict on the group of earthlings, as well as all the hits they'd landed on him.

The ones who were in the best condition were undoubtedly Tien and Chi-Chi. Both warriors had played it safe since the start of the battle against the Saiyan invaders, using long-range, hit-and-run tactics that allowed them to avoid counters and responses. The result was a series of bruises, cuts, and mild burns on their persons, but nothing too serious- though Tien did have a scrape over his right eye that was bleeding down his face. But overall, aside from several tears in their ruined clothing, they were still good, if a little bit winded.

Krillin was the third on the list for least damage- carrying multiple cuts, scrapes, and burns on his body. However, thanks to throwing a lot of high-powered attacks repeatedly from range to distract and even damage his target, the man had burned through a great deal of stamina and was currently hunched over in his stance, sucking in deep gulps of air. He probably wouldn't last much longer at his current pace.

Launch was no better- sporting a burnt arm where most of the sleeve had been disintegrated, multiple burns and blisters from dodging high-volume shots, and sporting a few cuts over her face from catching some debris.

Piccolo came after. Not only was he missing the top half of his gi thanks to Vegeta ploughing through him with a charge attack that took out his entire side, but the regeneration after the fact had managed to sap the Namekian of some of his energy reserves. He'd also been dishing out intense, concentrated blasts repeatedly, draining him of more energy. And since he'd been spearheading most of the assault thus far, even with his defensive tactics, he'd still taken the most punishment for the team. Right now, he was fighting on fumes.

The worst off was understandably Chiaotzu and Yamcha. Though the former was tough in his own right, the little telepath just didn't have the grit to carry on like his compatriots and was currently lying on the floor in Launch's lap suffering from multiple burns and fatigue. The former bandit meanwhile was now missing one arm and had taken on just as many, if not more than the others.

All their fuel was running low and close to empty. Furthermore, though not visible on the surface, most of them were various broken bones. Launch and Krillin were included amongst this list.

As for Vegeta, well, the man may be a plucky and determined son of a bitch, but at this moment he was barely hanging in there himself. His stamina reserves were nearly depleted, to the point that he was struggling to keep himself upright. Heck, though he hadn't been able to find the chance to use it yet thanks to all these fighters ganging up on him and keeping him on his toes, he no longer had the strength to conjure up an artificial moon. So, transforming into his Oozaru form was no longer an option.

Arm finally dropping after keeping it train on the Earthlings behind him, the flame-haired warrior panted as he glared up through the blood trickling down from the cut over his forehead made by Piccolo's _Special Beam Cannon_. "Kai… damn it…"

Wiping the blood from his chin, Piccolo frowned at the Saiyan Prince as he glared back at them. "It's over. You're done."

"We know you don't have anything left," Chi-Chi said, keeping her Bansho Fan primed and ready, just in case the man decided to take another pot shot at them. "Surrender now… and we promise no further harm will come to you."

Vegeta, spitting the blood out of his mouth, bared his teeth at them. "You think… I'm gonna throw in the towel… against you, human trash? Not a chance." Swinging his wounded arm around, the man then curled his fingers and sneered menacingly at the raven-haired woman wielding the giant wind maker. "I… am a Saiyan warrior! The most elite of my class of the last generation! There isn't a fighter or soldier alive… on any world… who can force me into submission!"

Eyebrow twitching at hearing the prince's rant, Tien brought both hands in front of him and formed a diamond shape, which he aimed at the exhausted invader. "Wanna bet?"

Vegeta, turning towards the three-eyed warrior, narrowed his eyes when he saw the bald fighter's hand positions. Examining the man quickly through his slightly blurred gaze, the prince frowned. "You think I'm going to fall for that bluff, triclops? I can tell from the way you're standing and breathing right now that if you try to use that attack on me again, you'll die."

"Maybe…" Tien answered, sweat dripping down his face while narrowing his eyes on his target through his hands. "But I'm willing to take that chance. Especially since you're barely hanging in there yourself. There's a good, one-hundred percent chance that if I put everything that I have left into this one attack… I'll wipe you out and take you to hell with me." The man then smirked across at the wounded Saiyan. "My soul is prepared. How's yours, your majesty?"

For a full minute both Vegeta and Tien stared one another down, the former glaring hatefully at his foe while the human remained smug. With silence reigning supreme, the rest of the Z-fighters surrounding the area, including Launch, began thinking that they should jump the prince- try to take him out with a combined attack while his guard was down.

However, before any of them could take any action on this matter, a shadow passing overhead followed by a familiar presence appearing on their radars stopped the group of fighters' dead in their tracks. At first appearing confused, when the Z-warriors saw a figure drop down from the sky to land directly beside Vegeta, everyone felt their jaws drop when they immediately recognized the familiar orange and blue clad form of Son Goku standing in the centre of their kill circle.

The Saiyan Prince, not expecting the man's arrival, recoiled in surprise when he noticed the stranger standing beside him. The earthlings on the other hand each responded in their own respective ways, with Chi-Chi almost dropping the Bansho Fan she was holding when she saw her husband standing right in front of her- alive and well.

"G-Goku?" she stuttered, her eyes widening and smile appearing when she recognized his spiky haired face staring back at her. "GOKU!"

"He… He's here!" Krillin also stammered out, before a grin- bigger than any he'd had over the last several months- tugged at his lips. "Goku! You're here!"

When he saw the smiling faces of his friends and family members staring back at him, the newly arrived and fighting fit protector of Earth felt his own grin reappear and his eyes light up cheerfully. "Hey, guys!" the Saiyan chirped with a wave. "Did you miss me?"

His swiftest answer came in the form of his wife who, after dropping the fan on the ground, rushed over to her husband, leapt at him, and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug. Laughing and giggling as she knocked a surprised Goku stumbling back a few paces, the raven-haired woman in the blue and red qi pao dress snuggled her man's neck for a couple seconds, before slowly lowering herself from him back to the floor.

"I'm so glad you're back, honey," Chi-Chi exclaimed, her face glowing through the bruises and blood on her face as she reached up and lovingly rested a palm against her man's cheek. "Don't… ever leave me like that again. Promise?"

"Yeah." Beaming down at the woman as tears of joy started to build in her eyes, the planet's hero then turned his attention to the rest of his companions. "Sorry I'm a little late. But the journey back down _Snake Way_ took a lot longer than I was expecting. I also needed to have a quick word with Kami as soon as I returned to Earth." After taking count of all his friends and seeing they were all alive, the man then turned his attention to Vegeta, who he saw was currently kneeling a few feet away and staring up at both him and Chi-Chi. The moment he spotted him his eyes narrowed. "Are you one of the Saiyans?"

Vegeta, closing his mouth at being addressed, gave the newcomer a hard stare before responding with a query of his own. "You're… _Kakarot_? Raditz's younger brother?"

The plucky hero nodded. "I am," Goku answered, before turning his attention to another part of the valley. "Weren't there supposed to be two of you?"

"There are," a voice from above spoke up, drawing the whole group's focus across the ruined battlefield to see Raditz- with Yajirobi hanging off his arm and an unconscious Nappa slung over his other shoulder- float down from the sky and land on the edge of their perimeter. The moment his human teammate hopped off his arm, the long-haired Saiyan with the singed face looked back at his resurrected younger sibling with a neutral expression in play. "I've got the other one right here." He said this while hefting the large mass of his ex-teammate.

When Goku saw his older brother standing there, between both the kneeling Launch and limping Krillin, his immediate reflex was to clench his fists and throw up his guard. However, that slowly changed when he saw the man wasn't attacking. "Hey there, Raditz."

"Little brother," the man greeted briefly, quickly looking the man over before focusing on the serious stare he was giving him. "Back from the dead, huh?"

Goku exhaled, "Yeah."

"Hmph. So those dragon balls weren't a bust after all. You look good."

"Thanks. I feel good too. It's a set," Goku answered coolly, eyeing his brother for a moment before smiling warmly. "I heard from King Kai and Kami that you'd been spending time with my friends- training and fighting alongside them."

"Well… after you got killed by Piccolo during our battle, I really didn't have much of a choice," Raditz answered, looking away momentarily with a somewhat sheepish expression. "It was either hide out in the mountains and wait for death to come my way… or put aside my prejudices, get my shit together, and team up with your earthling friends." before slowly turning back to his sibling and giving him a small smile. "I chose the latter. And honestly… it wasn't that bad."

Goku chuckled, "But I bet it wasn't an easy change for you, huh?"

"Heh. You're right," Raditz answered with a smirk. "But that's a conversation for another time."

Nodding in understanding, Goku once again put on a serious demeanour and did one last scan of the area. After taking stock of his friends' conditions- and noticing Yamcha and Chiaotzu were gravely injured- the hero directed his gaze to Vegeta and addressed him directly. "This battle has gone on long enough. I'm putting a stop to this now."

Vegeta's eye twitched at the sharpness in Goku's statement. "Hmph. Is that so? And how do you figure you're going to do that, Kakarot? Threaten me? Tell me to leave this planet and forget everything that's happened here today? Or are you going to try and capture me? Throw me in a cell to be trialled in your earthling courts?" The man then spat out the blood from his mouth as he slowly and shakily rose back to his feet. "Tsk. Well, if it's going to be any of those two options… then all I can say is, screw that. You'd be better off just killing me right here and now."

Hearing this, Goku shook his head. "Even if I wanted to, killing you and your friend would be cruel and pointless." He then gestured to the prince's current state- pointing out the wound over his eye, the bruises, cuts and burns on his body, and the hole in his gut and leg. "I would never think of doing such a thing… especially to someone who can't even fight back."

While Tien, Launch and Piccolo felt their jaws slacken at their rival's comment, an observing Krillin staggered forward and called out. "W-Wait a second, Goku! You're… not seriously thinking of letting this guy go, are you?"

"Do you know how many people he and his friend have killed since they landed here? How much damage they've done to this planet?" Launch also spoke, keeping Chiaotzu in her lap as she pointed in the direction that the Saiyans had flown in from. "These two wiped out an entire city and killed thousands of people in the blink of an eye?!"

"I know what these two did. What they've done," Goku said back, glancing over his shoulder at the pair and seeing them stop at the look he gave them. "But before you guys start freaking out, can you please hear me out first?" He then stepped closer to the beaten and exhausted invader and gave the limping fighter the hardest glare he could muster. "As much as I want to fight you myself, we'll have to wait another day to have that battle. When the time is right and we're both in top condition."

When he heard the newcomer say this, the confused Vegeta then shot the man a suspicious stare. "Alright. So, if you're not going to finish me off or take me down… then what the hell do you want from me?"

What Goku had to say in return caught the Z-fighters completely by surprise.

Expression remaining cool and collected, Goku then gave Vegeta his answer. "I want you and your friend to join us."

This request alone not only floored the prince at its unexpected delivery, but it also had the rest of the good guys almost faceplant the ground in shock.

The most immediate and outrageous reactions came from Tien and Piccolo.

"Are you freakin' kidding me, Goku?!" the three-eyed fighter shouted.

"You can't be serious?!" the Namekian followed up immediately afterwards.

"W-What did he just say?" Yamcha stammered out from where he was sitting- still holding his stump of an arm.

"Are you nuts? Why in the blue fuck do you want those two murderers to come over to our side?!" Launch also shouted, with Chiaotzu staring wide-eyed from where he was lying on her leg. "Did you hit your head on the way back from the afterlife?"

Chi-Chi, at first appearing stunned herself, then frowned at her husband's back. "You'd better have a good reason for this, Goku. Because I swear..." There was a good reason for her current ire. After all, they'd spent the better half of the last couple hours trying to defeat this guy while he'd been trying to murder them all.

The Saiyan from Earth nevertheless smiled back at his loved one. "I do, honey. Don't worry. Just trust me on this," he said, before turning back to the prince to await his answer.

After gawking at the newcomer with an expression equivalent to a deer-caught-in-the-headlights, the Saiyan Prince then gnashed his teeth and barked. "I don't think I heard you right. Are you stupid or something? Why the hell would I- the Prince of all Saiyans- ever think about teaming up with the likes of you? A lower-class Saiyan wretch, his worthless traitor of a brother, and his gaggle of weakling friends from a backwater planet on the far reaches of nowhere space?!" He then waved a hand towards the battered martial artists surrounding him. "Do you think I would simply toss aside my pride and position as an elite warrior, to throw my lot in with you?! What possible reason could you have to ask something so ridiculous of me?"

While the sleight towards them had the Z-fighters scowling and Raditz clench his fist in rage, Goku quickly settled things down with a response. "Easy. Because Frieza knows."

That name alone was enough to have Vegeta stop. "What?"

"King Kai told me everything about him. He also spoke to me as I was flying down here from Kami's," Goku continued, his expression remaining calm as he stared back at Vegeta. "You're one of Frieza's best warriors- a soldier and scout in his big, galactic army. You came to this planet with your teammate to see if you could try and sell it for him. But the truth is the two of you snuck down here behind your boss's back, to not only find the dragon balls, but to make a wish on them." It was then the hero's glare tightened into one that was far more concerned. "From what King Kai told me… Frieza has learned all about you and your partner's unplanned trip."

Vegeta, fist clenching, snapped back at Goku quickly. "Impossible. How the hell could he have found out?! There's just no way!"

It was at this the Saiyan hero put on a puzzled look and shrugged. "I don't know. How do you guys normally talk to the rest of your friends when you're flying around space?"

At first staring at Goku with a mixture of confusion and annoyance, the prince then felt his eyes widen in horror and a cold sweat break out on his forehead. He then reached up and grabbed the earpiece of the red scouter unit he had resting over his ear. "Shit!"

When the group saw the invader panic and make a grab for his scanner, Raditz then decided to chime in. "Those scouters are automatically programmed to transmit messages and recordings of conversations all across the Frieza network when in neutral mode, so that the higher ups can keep track of the troops," the rogue informed, walking forward as Vegeta fiddled with and removed his unit. When the Z-fighters turned to their Saiyan ally, they saw the serious glare now resting on his face. "After you cut communications with me, you probably reset your units back to their original frequencies to inform the Force of your next destination. But you probably forgot to switch them back over to secure mode afterwards… like an idiot."

"Grrr…" Vegeta growled, shooting a look across at Raditz as he clutched the cracked scouter in his hand. He then wordlessly dug his thumb into the switch and shut it off.

Krillin, looking a little bit lost like a handful of the other Z-fighters, shook his head and turned to his friend. "Who exactly are you guys talking about? Who is this… Frieza guy?"

When his friend asked this question, the planet's hero glanced his way briefly. "A very bad person… worse than anyone we've ever encountered before." Noticing the prince's frustration growing by the second, Goku set a hand on his hip and continued. "King Kai told me all sorts of stories about what kind of monster Frieza is. That he's an arrogant, powerful, yet incredibly intelligent creature who kills mercilessly, conquers worlds, and can destroy entire systems of planets with just a wave of his finger. If what he said about him is true… and he managed to hear everything you and my friends were talking about… then he's probably looking for another set of dragon balls as we speak."

Piccolo, eyes searching the ground for a moment, then quickly recalled what Vegeta had said during their initial conversation with one another before they had their power levels scanned by him. _'The Namekian. He created the dragon balls. Not the earthlings.' _Hearing this echo through his head like a horn had the green demon look back up at Goku in alarm. "He's going to be looking for more Namekians?"

"Your home planet, to be more precise," Raditz said, his own expression remaining dead serious as he saw his training partner turn to him. "It won't take long for Frieza to put two and two together and figure out where to locate the other members of your race. In fact, his agents have probably informed him about Vegeta's quest and he's already plotting a course for Planet Namek as we speak."

After seeing Vegeta's gaze snap between his former henchmen, to the ground, and then to his scouter a few times, Goku pressed his advantage. "From what I was told, this Frieza guy is over a hundred thousand times stronger than all of us combined. If he gets a hold of the dragon balls, there won't be a force in the universe that will be able to stop him. That is, unless, we team up." Seeing the prince look back up at him, the hero of Earth pointed at himself and then straight at him. "I learned what he did to our home planet… to our families… to our race. If bringing that creep down is something you want to do, then we have to put aside our personal differences and help each other. We can't let a monster like him make a wish on the dragon balls. If he does, there's no telling what kind of damage he can do." Upon seeing the prince's glare rest on him, Goku's brow creased nervously. "Will you help us?"

At first Vegeta gave a disgusted grunt, turning around and glaring across the countryside. Breathing heavily, the man paced back and forth, limping slightly as he weighed up all the information he'd learned and considered all his options.

For the next minute he marched a hole into the ground, huffing and bleeding- all while being watched by the members of the Z-team. After everything that'd passed in the last few hours, there was no telling how violently or unexpectedly this guy would react. He wasn't exactly the most patient or level-headed foe they'd run into, and honestly all of them were on edge.

When what felt like a great deal of time passed and Vegeta had done over a dozen laps of the same spot, the group saw the prince stop, straighten his back, and sigh in resignation. "Personally… I would rather just kill you all, grab the dragon balls for myself, and call it a day," the prince said, causing the group to freeze up. But then, when the man turned around, his expression and lost a lot of its coarseness. "But as much as I hate to admit it, I alone don't have the strength to take on Frieza and his men alone. So even though I detest the idea… joining forces with you and your ilk is probably the best and only option that I have." Stepping up to Goku and stopping in front of him, the shorter fighter fixed him with a glare. "Fine. I'll work with you. But only until we've beaten Frieza and his forces, and not a day longer."

Goku, grinning broadly, then extended his right hand to him for a shake. "Great!" he chirped, observing as Vegeta glanced down at his palm. However, instead of feeling the man shake it, the prince grunted, turned away, and crossed his arms. Realizing he wasn't going to reciprocate his gesture, the naïve hero of Earth gave a nervous laugh and retracted his hand, before turning to the rest of his friends and family to see expressions of relief come over them. "So… who's hungry? Because I feel like grabbing something to eat."

Cue most of the Z-fighters literally face-planting the ground in comical fashion, which they all did with a simultaneous thud.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Northern Quadrant, Cold Planet 1)

Resting in the heart of a massive city spanning a large portion of this alien world and towering over the glistening white skyscrapers making up the futuristic metropolis, there stood an enormous white palace. Stately, tall, wide, and protected by dozens of ovular-shaped monoliths and spires across an enormous stretch of property far greater than any other in the cosmos, this impressive example of economic and military might represented the beating heart of an organization that occupied most of the known universe.

Or former acting heart, at least.

Bearing both the markings and design elements that was characteristic of a member of Frieza's race, the citadel of the Great King Cold dwarfed every other structure in the capital. While the central spire rising from the main building itself was perhaps the most indulgent, recognized, and immense structure in the entire region- so much so that it actually scraped the clouds themselves- it was the actual size of the base complex that spoke wonders of the ruler's power and influence.

The edifice supporting the tower alone was large enough to fit a small city inside it. From one side to the other, the bowels of the bastion were made up of dozens of countless great halls the size of villages and corridors big enough to fit entire star ships and military parades in them. Though the walkways were dotted by several guards and high-ranking officers running errands, most of the stronghold remained completely empty.

This further demonstrated the immense standing the Emperor held in the universe… and how only the chosen few could walk the same halls with him.

Speaking of which, towards the end of one of the abovementioned corridors line with white, metal walls and windows, stood a pair of guards dressed in pure white armour on either side of a large door. Their uniforms remaining completely unchanged even after all their years of service, the two completely clad and imposing forms of the two _Blizzard Corps_ troops, identified by the snowflake insignia on their chests and shoulder plates, stood proudly on the entrance's flanks.

Wielding a pair of lances in their left and right hands respectively, the two men in helmets remained as still as statues, while the full face-visors of their helmets glared down the hallway before them. They remained that way even when they were approached by one of their colleagues, who suddenly came marching up to them from the hallway to the right.

Helmet removed, the Hera-seijin bodyguard in identical white armour- but with a tri-guarded sabre at his belt as opposed to a spear- stopped in front of the sealed door and nodded to the guards. "Ceádmil, Koga. Masha."

The two elites with the lances nodded back to the orange-haired warrior when he stood in front of them, with the slightly shorter guard on the right answering in a noticeably womanly voice through the helmet's modulator. "Ceádmil, Gokuha," the guard answered back in kind. "Back from your mission already?"

Smiling, the spiky haired male with the earrings and the red scarf resting under the protective collar of his suit, gave the pair a shrug. "It was an easy job. Nothing too difficult to complete… though the locals did put up something of a fight before I cut them down." He then glanced between them inquisitively. "Do any of you guys know where Commander Bojack is? I have a message for him from Captain Zangya."

In response, the male Blizzard Corp soldier on the left nodded across the hall, "Of course. He's right over there."

Turning around, Gokuha swiftly searched the other side of the expressway wide corridor, before his blue eyes quickly spotted his superior standing in the shadow of a large pillar, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Dressed in the same uniform as the rest of them, save for the extra markings on his pauldrons designating him as the highest-ranking member of their troop, the large, beefy, and intimidating looking Hera sporting the diamond shaped gold earrings and gruesome scar over his face, stood against the barrier with his eyes closed and a very concentrated look on his visage.

Smiling when he found him, Gokuha promptly crossed the passageway and stopped a few paces short of his boss. Resting his hand over his sword, the warrior with the orange, spiky locks addressed the man with the bushy mane reaching down past his shoulders. "Commander?"

Shortly after being addressed, Bojack cracked open his eyes and glanced down at the master swordsman. "What do you have to report, Gokuha?"

"Sir," the Hera began promptly and on point, "Zangya radioed in to Bido a few minutes ago. She said that Lord Slug's forces are almost completely destroyed… and that the young prince Cooler has joined the final leg of the battle. He's currently facing off against the demented warlord as we speak."

Processing this report, the Commander of the Blizzard Corp tapped a finger against his bicep. "Good. Anything else?"

"She… also mentioned that- in addition to Prince Kuriza- the Ginyu Force has also been captured by the leader… and that Prince Cooler is having a hard time fighting against the rebel Empire's leader," Gokuha informed, keeping a hand on his hilt as he relayed this information to his boss. Upon seeing the big Hera stop drumming a finger against his arm, the swordsman shrugged. "My guess is that this invader from the unknown regions was a lot stronger than we earlier anticipated."

Nodding at this information, Bojack then gave an indignant grunt and shut his eyes once again. "It makes no difference. If things get out of hand, Zangya will be able to take care of it. After all, she's my second in command… and the second strongest member of the Blizzard Corp. If anyone can clean this mess up if or when things go south, she can."

Smile widening slightly at seeing his commander take this information in stride, the swordsman Hera then turned around and looked towards the door where his colleagues Masha and Koga were standing. Upon inspecting the entrance for a moment and noticing that the room indicator light above was on, Gokuha then cocked an eyebrow. "Is Emperor Cold still in his meditation chamber?"

"Yeah," Bojack sighed, his right eye opening slightly and glancing towards the sealed entrance as well. "He's been in there ever since we informed him about his grandson's kidnapping. He hasn't spoken, eaten, or moved an inch from the centre of the room since. My guess is that he's locked in a very deep state of concentration."

Gokuha, furrowing his brow in confusion, looked back at his superior inquisitively. "Any particular reason why he decided to train?"

"Don't know," the commander replied with a shrug, his finger tapping impatiently against his arm. "He just said he was feeling sluggish and needed to work out some stress, so he locked himself in the room and cranked the gravity settings up to maximum. He's asked me to stand guard and report back to him on any developments."

"Huh... is that so?" Gokuha murmured, before looking back towards the room's entrance along with his superior. As both he and Bojack eyed the room, the swordsman with the lazy expression on his face twiddled his fingers anxiously. "I wonder what kind of training he's doing in there."

It was a fair question. After all, since the room was preventing them from sensing their king's energy signature, they had no idea what kind of exercises he was performing.

Were one to peer through the layers of steel and iron making up the chamber, what you would find was a perfectly square room, covered from floor to ceiling with white, metal tiles, reinforced with an energy field capable of withstanding blasts powerful enough to destroy a planet. The low hum of the room's internal engines, which were hardwired into the palace itself, could be heard echoing around the cell from all directions. And in the centre of this completely empty, objectless, sterile environment, the massive form of King Cold himself could be seen meditating in mid-air.

Unlike before, the former Supreme Commander of the Cold Force and _Planet Trade Organization_\- now semi-retired- was currently assumed in a state that was completely different to any he'd been seen in before. No longer did he sport the purple skin, white carapace plates and horns of his race's signature second form, but the sleeker, more refined, and combat efficient evolution of his true, final form.

On first glance, the alien looked exactly like his son Frieza in his final form. However, on closer inspection, King Cold's true form shared traits from both his sons. Though his outline bore a strong resemblance to his youngest son's final form, the majority of his skin had a light, purplish tint to it, with the only aspects that were white being his head, forearms, calves, and chest- which gave him the appearance of wearing carapace armour, just like Cooler. Aside from his unique bio-suit's design, the man was also incredible tall, and would easily stand at twice the height of his two boys, were he not sitting in a cross-legged position and locked in deep meditation.

As the Great King Cold floated in place with his hands on his knees and tail dangling behind him, a field of pink, mist-like energy pulsed and crackled around him. With sparks of white lightning also shooting off his aura every few seconds- striking the floor and singing it in several places- the Great Emperor appeared even more imposing of a force than he ever had in his reduced forms.

It was a fact that was punctuated further by the giant monitor built into the wall behind him, the scanner of which was clocking his power output between 9,000,000,000 and 10,000,000,000.

Despite being stuck in a room with a gravity output of over ten thousand, the tyrant and old king had been able to float there for the past fortnight without moving an inch. After being lost in deep thought and concentration for Kai knows how long, the man eventually opened his eyes, and revealed a pair of glowing red irises glaring beneath the lids, which seemed to burn like two dead stars in space.

The moment he revealed his gaze to the white, sterile environment, an evil smile slowly tugged at his pitch-black lips and wrinkled face. The act of doing so caused his power to spike sharply, which in turn cracked the gravity room in multiple places.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Back on Eclipse I)

After about twenty minutes of flying around the sky at top speed and attempting to land a clean hit on his foe to damage him, the fierce and determined Emperor Cooler had quickly come to the horrifying realization that he'd probably bitten off a little more than he could chew.

Even after ascending to his race's recently acquired _Fifth Form_\- or better yet _Evolved Form_\- which not only increased his size, but also his strength, speed and power four-fold, the prince was still finding himself being pressured by his opponent and forced onto the defensive. No matter what attacks he used, where he launched them from, how quickly he struck, or how much power he put behind his blasts, the young emperor just couldn't for the life of him land a single effective shot.

Every attack he tried was either gunned down, absorbed, or deflected by his opponent's multi-layered defences, which not only proved to be far more durable than he'd expected, but also came with a shocking series of countermeasures and ripostes.

To clarify, Lord Slug possessed a move pool of ki-based techniques that was so deep and diverse that Cooler almost lost count of the number of attacks the guy had already thrown at him. The way he fought was also ingenious... and surprisingly conservative.

Right from the get-go, the warlord would start off each of his assaults by producing a group of golden plasma balls around his position numbering from four to six spheres in total, all of which would then continuously orbit his body in a defensive manner. With them, the man would then launch a variety of energy attacks with different patterns and very few tells between each one, including but not limited to: ground explosions, AOE blasts, beam attacks with a delayed or mixed firing rate, sprayed shots, hails of needles, blasts that arced upwards before raining down from the sky, a sweeping laser that practically cut through everything in its path, scattered plasma bullets which he unleashed from a single sphere, or a move where he would just go for broke and launch the entire plasma ball directly at Cooler for dramatic damage.

The combinations Lord Slug was able to doll out with these energy constructs were so varied, random and quick that the young emperor found it difficult to evade all of them. In fact, he ended up getting hit by quite a number of attacks and, much to the emperor's dismay, each of them hurt like hell. Not only that, but it seemed that the longer the fight seemed to drag on, the more complex Lord Slug's combinations became.

Furthermore, as much of a pain they were to avoid at long range, whenever Cooler tried to go in for some close range melee strikes on the alien spellcaster, not only were his blows blunted by an invisible forcefield surrounding both his target and his hostages, but the plasma balls would act as an extra line of interference. Every time the prince's punches were blocked or absorbed by the transparent barrier, one of Lord Slug's six spheres would appear in front of him and send out a series of spikes to impale or drive him off.

It. Was. Annoying.

All of this really boiled down to the user's complete and utter control of their actions. While Cooler was a well-recognized master energy manipulator and telepath in his own right- capable of moving entire landmasses with his mind and being able to fire all sorts of energy attacks ranging from finger beams to energy disks that he could control telekinetically- Lord Slug's abilities far exceeded his own by an insanely wide margin.

On top of being able to launch diverse attacks in rapid succession, the warlord could also produce and control different types of energy moves simultaneously without use of his hands or feet. To put it into perspective, while firing a laser beam from one of the plasma balls orbiting him, Lord Slug would telekinetically will a second plasma ball to lob a cluster of energy bullets at his target at the same time- all of which had homing capabilities- and at the same time produce another plasma ball out of thin air to replace the one he'd just used up. The amount of control a fighther would need to be able to pull off something like that, all without use of their hands or fingers, was so ludicrously high that Cooler couldn't fathom how the warlord had ever been able to reach such a level.

And to make matters worse, not only was Lord Slug able to do all these things seemingly without effort, but he hadn't even budged an inch from his throne.

The guy was literally just sitting there, cheek resting on his knuckles, while his right-hand was waving through the air like some sort of orchestra conductor. It was infuriating knowing that the guy was just acting so calm in this situation.

After dodging a series of golden bolts fired from another plasma ball orbiting the warlord's throne, the bruised and slightly grilled Cooler let out a frustrated snarl when he saw another two plasma balls form behind Lord Slug, joining the cluster of already existing three before morphing into a pair of spears. _"This guy is seriously pissing me off!"_ the prince thought, a split second before having to dive hard when the two lances that formed behind the hooded warlord flew up at him to impale him.

Whoever this guy was or wherever he came from, he was using a fighting style that was completely different to anything that Cooler had ever faced before. He was like a mage- fighting from a stationary position while casting energy and plasma attacks at long range to keep his enemy on his toes. It was an opponent type the alien prince had never encountered, even after all his years of travelling the cosmos.

For the next several minutes, the pain kept rolling in, with the deeply amused Lord Slug casually waving his hand, producing more plasma balls around him, and lobbing simultaneous laser, arrow and ball attacks with them from his seat. The blasts went out in waves of twos and threes, endlessly hammering the countryside and generating fiery explosions one after the other in their intent to shoot the dodging Cooler out of the sky. From a distance, it was a truly glorious spectacle to witness, almost like the warlord was creating different types of fireworks with mixed sparks, bolts and fire balls being sent gushing into the sky.

The Ginyu Force certainly thought so, with the five frozen members gaping as they watched the blur that was Emperor Cooler dart between a salvo of energy beams fired in a cluster of five shots from a single plasma ball. They then saw him strafe the sky firing Death Beams towards the hail of energy arrows Lord Slug started peppering him with, aiming with the finger of his right hand and cackling all the while.

Eventually, after being forced to dodge a couple of plasma disks that came flying at him from different angles, a laser arrow eventually flew up and struck Cooler in the shoulder- causing a bright flash and knocking him spinning across the sky. "AGH! THAT'S IT!" he bellowed, spinning back around to face Lord Slug, swinging his right hand up, and rapidly producing a _**Supernova**_.

With a gap in the onslaught of barrages seized, Cooler rapidly produced a massive, sun-like energy ball over his head that lit up the sky and alarmed everyone within viewing distance of it. Several seconds after the ball had gained size and mass, the prince then hocked it straight down towards the citadel and the warlord sitting upon it.

While the Ginyu Force and Kuriza freaked out when they saw the large ball of burning energy fast approaching them, Lord Slug- expecting the alien to resort to such a measure- grinned broadly and extended his right hand, sending two of his plasma balls forward to slam into the oncoming, miniature sun. The two smaller spheres slammed into the globe, generating a shockwave that sent ripples of force and hot wind tearing across the landscape in all directions, as a tug-of-war match started up between the two opposing techniques.

The roar of the winds generated by the energy spheres deafened the countryside- parting the clouds and causing the entire region to shake violently. Though Kuriza and the Ginyu Force sat protected behind Lord Slug's shield, the group couldn't help but turn away, as the glare from the colliding attacks was too much for them to stare at.

In the midst of the battle between Lord Slug's plasma balls and the enormous sun bearing down on top of him, the Namekian then glanced to his left, where he saw two pink energy disks suddenly arc down from the sky and fly towards him. In response, the hooded warrior in the seat telekinetically sent two of his remaining plasma balls towards the approaching disks, the spheres thinning and transforming into blades themselves. A loud crack split the air when the two sets of disks slammed into one another and began to push against each other, sending sparks flying in all directions as both attempted to overpower the other.

"Hmm… interesting. So, this is your strategy, is it?" Lord Slug commented, keeping his right hand extended as his two plasma balls pushed back Cooler's Supernova and his two golden disks clashed with the two pink ones. With attacks coming at him from two different directions, the Namekian leader couldn't help but grin excitedly. "Recklessly attempting the same method of attack as me isn't going to work here, prince!"

The moment he shouted this; a bright pink energy beam suddenly came arcing down from the other side- dropping from the sky before homing in on Lord Slug from his blind spot. At precisely the same time, the Namekian's remaining plasma ball flew from the man's side and towards the approaching beam, colliding with it and resulting in a third energy tug of war battle.

Now, with the commander fending off three completely different attacks from three different directions, the pressure started to mount. The Supernova, the Death Saucers, and the Death Beam began to push back against the Namekian's defences, forcing his own attacks to start wavering under the force as the user of these three techniques began adding more power.

Lord Slug, though his arm tensed as he attempted to hold back the attacks, remained calm in the face of the deadly attacks. Eventually, following a very loud and chaotic wrestling match between himself and his determined foe, the hooded rebel leader chuckled as bolts of electricity then shot off his body.

"Good effort… but not good enough!" Slug bellowed, before sending a surge of energy forward and forcing his attacks into Cooler's.

What resulted was a cataclysmic reaction, as the golden plasma constructs simultaneously tunnelled into the emperor's energy waves and started a chain of events. Brilliant flashes filled the sky as the high-powered techniques ruptured at virtually the same time, a split second before three dome-shaped blasts- each possessing the force of a thermonuclear warhead behind each one- detonated in the air around the citadel. The intense, highly concentrated balls of fire swallowed up and scorched the sky, melted the ground, and lit up the planet's northern hemisphere, creating a scene reminiscent to three suns instantaneously forming in the air just above the mobile world, moments before they dissipated into thin air.

After the shockwaves rattled the planet, causing the citadel to rock violently under the tidal waves of force that crashed over it, smoke replaced the fireballs and blanketed the area. While Kuriza and the Ginyu Force had all their eyes clenched following the wake of the explosions, the patiently waiting Lord Slug then quickly scanned the area before him, unable to pierce the veil now filling his horizon.

Just as another set of plasma balls quickly began to form around him, the warlord then recoiled in surprise when he saw the heavy cloud of dust and frost break in front of him, followed immediately by Cooler's massive form blasting towards him.

"HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" A cloak of pink ki burning around him and his arms crossed protectively over his face, the transformed alien bellowed at the top of his lungs as he charged straight at the stationary Lord Slug, his body moving so fast that when the enemy leader sent three of his newly formed plasma balls shooting towards him, they missed completely.

In the blink of an eye, Cooler was right in front of Lord Slug, swinging both arms out in a slicing motion. When at first the warlord thought his telekinetic barrier would protect him from the attack, the Namekian suddenly saw the field before him shatter like glass as the alien prince carved right through it, his left arm shrouded by the sharp, piercing glow of a pink energy blade. The Salza Blade.

_**SHING!**_

A shower of purple blood then splattered through the air when the prince, using the exact same swing to plough through Lord Slug's shield, cut right through the palm of Slug's hand.

A split second later, the moment he felt his hand get carved into, the seated Namekian swung his right hand across and smashed the remaining plasma ball hovering on his right into Cooler's side- hitting the emperor square in the flank and causing the sphere to detonate with a flash and a thunderclap.

Shouting in pain as his body got enveloped in the blast, Cooler was knocked spiralling out of the air and sent bouncing across the roof of the citadel. Managing to flip into a controlled spin after his third impact, the emperor then slammed both his three-toed feet into the metallic roof and slid to a stop, glaring up through his red eyes as the stationary Lord Slug slowly retracted his hand to stare down at the massive gash left in his palm.

Panting a few times from the effort, Cooler then felt a pained chuckle leave his lips as he slowly stood up. By the time he was up, both the Ginyu Force and Kuriza had finally opened their eyes, and all six of them were just realizing what'd happened. "Haha. It's about time I landed _something_…" the prince coughed out, before once more taking a fighting stance and whipping his tail behind him angrily. "How did you like that, Slug?"

Flexing his fingers as he watched purple blood dribble down from his open wound, the Namekian at first remained silent. Seconds later, the green warrior allowed a smile to tug back across his lips before a low series of laughs reverberated from his throat. "Weak. Heh. Was that the best you could do, Lord Cooler? All that… for just _one_ scratch?" Slug asked, dropping his arm and, after shifting his weight forward, rising out of his throne. The frame of the seat creaked as the leader stood up- an action that stunned his observing hostages as he slowly, step by step, sauntered down the slope of his platform. "Pathetic."

Taking a cautious step back as he watched the cloaked warrior march down the elevation and onto the roof of his headquarters, Cooler felt a bit of sweat break around his crown when he saw orange electricity begin to spark off his enemy's body. "It's a start. But I'm sure I'll get somewhere if I keep trying," the emperor answered, not exactly liking what he was feeling.

Lord Slug scoffed at his remark- a smirk remaining plastered across his lips while his face remained shadowed by his cloak. "You can try. But you will fail… just like every other poor soul brave enough to try and stand against me," the hooded warrior responded, pivoting about as more orange electricity began to crackle off him in a cloud. As his energy levels began to climb at a phenomenal rate, alerting everyone in the vicinity to the approaching danger, the leader of the invading force grinned murderously at Cooler as he began plotting his next move. "Though I commend you for breaking through my barrier, I'm afraid this is as far as you go, young prince. I promised that if you managed to land a single blow on me that I would face you in combat as an equal…" Flicking back his cloak, the large Namekian then slowly started to raise his left hand and levelled his fingers towards the warrior. At the same time, orange electricity started zapping around his arm at a more intense rate. "But now… it's time I showed you what true horror… what _true_ _despair_… looks like."

Cooler then threw up his guard, watched as bolts of electricity began shooting across the floor from Slug's feet. It was a sight that had the Ginyu Force shiver with fear, as they knew all too well what kind of technique the Namekian was going to use. Kuriza even had half a mind to call out to his uncle in warning, but the amount of killing intent wafting off the warlord was preventing him from uttering a sound.

Energy gathered and ready to rip, Lord Slug grinned. "Time to die… prince." He then thrust a hand forward for his attack, only to suddenly feel his arms suddenly snap to his sides and a tight, stinging sensation grip at the flesh of his body.

Seeing Lord Slug's body suddenly lock straight as a plank of wood and the lightning aura blasting off him stop caused Cooler, Kuriza, Ginyu and the others to blink in surprise, with all of them watching as the hooded warlord twitched and shook on the spot.

Frowning when he felt his form freeze up and the thin, biting sensation of what felt like incredibly sharp strings dig into his skin, the rogue leader attempted to tug at the binds. When that failed, he then cast his tiny eyes to the side where, across the roof of the citadel, Slug saw the white, armour clad form of Zangya standing several yards away- her right hand extended towards him and a serious look on her face.

It took a few moments, but the rest of the people on the roof spotted her too, and when they did a momentary sense of relief flooded through all of them. Even the paralysed Ginyu, Recoome, Burter, Guldo and Jeice became overcome with joy at seeing a fellow colleague on the scene.

Lord Slug, noticing the shimmer of wires running through the air from the woman's outstretched fingers, then felt a smile tug back at his lips, "Oh… what have we here…?"

Not even bothering to react to the man's remark, Zangya- her fingers curling as she further tightened the binds she'd managed to hook around the hooded leader- then spoke. "This conflict has gone on long enough, wretch. Order your forces to stand down and surrender immediately. Terms are non-negotiable."

While a surprised Cooler remained silent at the arrival of the Hera-seijin and his father's envoy, the prince then turned his attention back towards the Dark Empire's leader. When he did, he was just in time to see the hooded man's body shake as a string of chuckles left him.

"And why would I want to do that, darling?" Lord Slug asked, at the same time shooting a sadistic grin across at the blue-skinned female. His smile was foul enough and menacing enough to cause the powerful woman's eye to twitch.

"Because I said so," Zangya pressed, swinging her left finger forward and hurling another wire through the air, which she quickly snapped around the man's head and neck. The moment her transparent string bound around him and dug into his skin, causing his smirk to vanish slightly, the Hera-seijin continued. Feeling him fight back against his binds once more had the female inquisitor shake her head. "It's useless. You're not going anywhere thanks to my _**Chōnōryoku**_ (Psycho Threads) sealing your movements. The bands cast by this technique are magically produced and are next to impossible to break out of. The more you struggle, the more energy gets drained from your body until you pass out or die. So, unless you want to get chopped into pieces right here and now, I suggest you comply with my demands and order your forces to stand down."

Lord Slug, quickly processing what the woman was saying to him, snickered openly before giving her another foul look. "It'll take more than this to get me to surrender, girl. Sorry… but I think I'll have to pass on your request."

"Is that your final answer, then?" Zangya asked, before quickly receiving her response when she felt Slug's muscles expand against her wires and his body shift slightly under the influence of her barrier. When she did, the Blizzard Corp soldier then tugged back on her extended left hand and drew the line on her finger in. "Very well. In the name of the Great Emperor King Cold, descendent of Great Emperor Storm, the _White Gale Dancing over the Four Corners of Creation_, I, Zangya- Captain and Second Guard to his Illustrious Majesty- hereby sentence you, Lord Slug, to death. May the soil lie light upon your wretched corpse."

The moment she said this, the Hera pulled back her left hand.

A loud 'shing' of metal then echoed across the roof, followed immediately by a sickening 'squelch' as the wire wrapped around Lord Slug's neck cut right through it and removed the warlord's head from his shoulders in a single stroke. The result was the warrior's skull and hood flying up into the air trailing blood, a split second before the other wires Zangya had bound around his airborne noggin sliced the decapitated cranium into ribbons- sending blood splattering across the metallic tiles in all directions.

The moment the bits and pieces of the Namekian's brain splashed across the floor, the warlord's now brainless, powerless body then collapsed to its knees with a loud thump. The sight had Kuriza gaping in horror, while a couple members of the Ginyu Force had to swallow their vomit.

"Ugh… bloody hell," Jeice remarked.

"That… was gross," Burter complied, ignoring the sound of Guldo retching next to him and trying to hold in his stomach's contents.

Managing to hold it together after gulping down in disgust, a stunned Recoome then looked between himself and his companions. "So… is… is it over…? Did we win?"

As Cooler relaxed his stance, the emperor and the collection of hostages then turned their attention to Zangya, who they saw nod her head affirmatively. "Yes. It's over. And not a moment too soon either," she answered, keeping her right hand extended towards the headless corpse of the warlord she'd soundly ended moments ago. After a quick, disgusted glare at his remains, the Hera then relaxed her hand and deactivated her _Psycho Threads_…

… or… she tried to.

"Huh?" Confused, the orange haired warrior attempted to cut off energy to her technique again, tugging on her wires once, twice… three times… but to no effect. "Hey! What the hell… why can't I deactivate my wires?" Her frantic question alerting the group's attention to her unexpected problem, the Blizzard Corp lieutenant then pulled on her hand, but found her wires were still live and working, and the energy in her body was being fed into it.

In fact, after a couple more seconds and attempts to deactivate the threads of her barrier, the Hera-seijin discovered to her shock that all the ki in her body was starting to pour into her active wires- an effect that could now be seen by the blue glow running up and down the threads in the form of mist-like flames.

Pulling on the wires for the fifth time, Zangya cursed, "Shit!"

"Hey! What's going on?" Cooler barked out, not knowing what was going on as he watched the woman's aura rush down the cables and into the warlord's headless body. "What the heck are you doing?!"

"AAGH! I-I'm not doing anything!" the Hera shouted back, her composure breaking in that moment as she pulled her right hand back again. "I don't know what the hell's happening!"

It was on that same tug the woman then attempted to end her move by slicing the remains of Lord Slug's body for good, in hope that maybe it will stop the energy rapidly leaving her. However, the instant she added tension to the strings to perform a second execution, the Hera and everybody else scattered around the roof then watched in complete disbelief as the headless body not only resisted the cutting effects of the wires, but suddenly straightened up like a disembodied puppet, threw its right arm out, and grabbed hold of the threads with its mangled hand.

The second the corpse grabbed her magically produced net, Zangya let out a cry of alarm when a massive portion of her energy suddenly went rushing down the still-connected strings and into the undead Lord Slug. Feeling her stamina rapidly leaving her and her knees starting to get wobbly as a result, the now panicking Hera-seijin clenched her teeth and acted.

With her left hand free, the elite guard grabbed the sword on her belt, drew it swiftly, and sent a burst of energy into the blade. The moment the metal lit up with a blue aura, she then swung it in front of her right hand- cutting through the wires and forcibly separating herself from her binds. Springing back as fast as she possibly could, the orange-haired beauty then dropped to her knees several paces away and gasped in fright.

From there, she, Cooler, Kuriza, and the members of the Ginyu Force then looked on in morbid horror as the headless body of Lord Slug, once dead and devoid of a living soul, slowly stood up and staggered around. His boots scraping through his own blood and brains, the lumbering corpse then lazily raised its hands, brought them forward, and began to clap.

_Clap. Clap. Clap._ A beat that was as terrifying as the form that was producing it.

Jaws dropping, the horrified members of the Cold Force then felt a cold sweat run down their faces when they heard a familiar, disembodied voice speak- seemingly all around them. "Well struck, girl. Well struck." Echoing and gurgling from every direction, the group then witnessed the headless body stop walking and raise its right hand. After holding its arm forward for a moment, it then curled its fingers into a fist, swung it in, and struck the centre of its chest. The second it did, another sickening squelch rang out and, from the hollow space where Lord Slug's head used to be, a second one sprang out of its host in a spray of blood and slime. As soon as his head reappeared atop his shoulders, the now fully alive, well, and regenerated warlord with the permanent scar running over his eye grinned menacingly at the stunned and significantly weakened Zangya. "But sadly… not good enough."

Jaw opening and closing a couple of times, the now badly shaken and drained Hera-seijin stuttered in disbelief, "H-How the fuck… are you still alive?"

Raising his right hand and looking down at the cut that was still there from earlier, the Namekian warlord smirked. "The cold depths of the void are a pathway to many abilities some would consider to be… _unnatural_," he said, flexing his fingers a couple of times before watching as the scar in his palm slowly healed itself shut before his very eyes. The moment his wound closed and repaired itself, Slug smirked up at Zangya and then across at Cooler- who was also gawking at him through his carapace face mask. "Had you tried that move on me a century ago, you probably would've killed me. But I've evolved far beyond what I once was… far beyond the mortal shell I used to inhabit." Bolts of orange lightning starting to crackle off the Namekian once again, the terrified group then saw him stomp forward and smirk at the leader of the branch of the PTO, who felt his body start to shake at the sinister aura he could sense building around him. The rest of the group also felt it too- cold, unrelenting, continuous waves of terror gripping them as the maniacal leader of the invading force approached his enemy and bombarded him with copious amounts of bloodlust. "I am more than mere flesh and bone. I am despair embodied. Darkness given physical form. No matter how many times you strike me down, I will always return… for I am eternal. I do not eat… I do not sleep… death no longer holds sway over me… and I absolutely will not stop… until darkness rules this world!"

Upon hearing this and seeing more bolts of orange lightning begin shooting off the warlord, Cooler, reaching into his collar, pulled out a small, cylinder-shaped comm unit he had fixed to his bio suit, pressed the top of it, and shouted into the receiver. "Commander Gray! Pull all your men back to the ships! Full retreat! This was a bad move!"

"_**B-But Lord Cooler…"**_ the tiny communicator crackled back.

"JUST DO IT!" Cooler barked, not giving the man a chance to question his orders as the kneeling Zangya swiftly stood up and swung her sword forward.

Grin widening, Lord Slug let out a dark laugh at the desperation he heard in the prince's voice. "It is useless. There is no escape," he hissed, a split second before he thrust a hand forward and behind his and unleashed a torrent of orange lightning from his fingers. The blasts of electricity bolted across the roof faster than Cooler and Zangya could react, a split second before both warriors were struck by the currents of energy, engulfed, and lifted into the sky. "There is only _me_!"

Thunderclaps echoed all around as the lightning Lord Slug unleashed from his hands caused a miniature storm and typhoon, which sent more lightning raining down on the surrounding fields to bombard the war-ravaged mountains and valleys. The armies fighting just over the hill literally had to duck and cover when orange energy from above began shooting down from the clouds and annihilating entire sections of land- felling plateaus, splitting the ice, and sending blasts of electricity shooting everywhere. In a matter of seconds, terror and chaos gripped the land as the people of the Seventh Fleet ran for their lives amidst the cyclone.

And as the effects of his attack spread, Cooler and Zangya were subjected to the most bone-racking pain they'd ever suffered- screams of agony tearing from their throats as currents of lightning wrapped around their bodies, passed through them, and began frying them from the inside out. Sparks and bolts further shot off them in a display that was unbearable to watch, as their airborne bodies bent, twisted, warped, and contorted in every way that was physically possible.

Kuriza and the Ginyu Force sat silent, gaping in hopeless terror as the two warriors sent to rescue them were blasted in and out of consciousness by the streams of hate-filled energy pouring from Lord Slug's hands.

As sparks flew and screams perforated the air all around, the grinning warlord cackled madly as coarse energy danced and swirled around him in a vortex. Unleashing another surge of lightning, he continued to rack both Cooler and Zangya, watching as the latter dropped her sword while the former curled into a ball, before snapping open as more lightning gushed through his body.

"First you. Then Frieza. Then King Cold. And then… the rest of the universe!" Lord Slug exclaimed, before hitting them with another surge of lightning.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Author's Note:** The next chapter will be the final chapter in the _Lord Slug Saga_. The final battle is at hand!

* * *

Okay, so everyone has a general idea where everything stands right now, here is the list of canon power levels I'm using, and you can use them to compare to the Alter Age story power levels. I got this list from the neoseeker website, because in my opinion it's the more accurate and understandable:

**Canon Storyline Power Levels (Estimation):** (because, you know, everyone has their own opinions, and bear in mind I'm basing this on the anime and movies, with a little bit of the manga sprinkled here and there)

**The Future of Trunks:**

Android 18 – 300,000,000

Android 17 – 300,000,000

Mirai Gohan – 6,000,000

Super Saiyan Mirai Gohan (x50) – 300,000,000

Mirai Trunks – 3,000,000

OOO

**Pre-Android Saga:**

Mecha Frieza (4th/Final Form) – 190,000,000

King Cold (2nd Form) – 150,000,000

Frieza Soldiers (Each) – 2,000 (average)

xxx

Mirai Trunks (Suppressed) – 5

Mirai Trunks – 5,000,000

Super Saiyan Mirai Trunks (x50) – 250,000,000

Goku – 6,000,000

Super Saiyan Goku (x50) – 300,000,000

OOO

**Android Saga (3 Years Later):**

Yamcha – 2,000,000

Krillin – 2,500,000

Tien – 3,500,000

Gohan – 3,000,000

Piccolo (Suppressed) – 8,000,000

Piccolo (Full Power) - 300,000,000

Goku – 8,000,000

Super Saiyan Goku (x50) – 400,000,000

Super Saiyan Goku (Heart Virus - Reduction) – 200,000,000

Vegeta – 7,500,000

Super Saiyan Vegeta (x50) – 375,000,000

Mirai Trunks – 5,500,000

Super Saiyan Mirai Trunks (x50) – 275,000,000

xxx

Android 19 – 200,000,000

Android 19 (Energy Absorbed) – 320,000,000

Android 20 – 250,000,000

xxx

Android 17 – 700,000,000

Android 18 – 700,000,000

Android 16 – 1,000,000,000

xxx

Imperfect Cell – 500,000,000

Piccolo (Fused with Kami) – 700,000,000

OOO

**Imperfect Cell Saga:**

Piccolo (fused with Kami) – 700,000,000

Android 17 – 700,000,000

Android 18 – 700,000,000

Imperfect Cell – 1,000,000,000

Android 16 – 1,000,000,000

Semi-Perfect Cell – 2,000,000,000

xxx

Vegeta – 37,500,000

Super Saiyan Vegeta (x50) – 1,875,000,000

Super Saiyan 2nd Grade Vegeta (+50%) – 2,500,000,000

Trunks – 38,000,000

Super Saiyan Trunks (x50) – 1,900,000,000

Super Saiyan 2nd Grade Trunks (+50%) – 2,850,000,000

Super Saiyan 3rd Grade Trunks (Ultra Super Saiyan) (+75%) – 3,325,000,000

Perfect Cell – 4,000,000,000

OOO

**Cell Games:**

Yamcha – 12,500,000

Krillin – 30,000,000

Tien – 40,000,000

Android 18 – 700,000,000

Android 16 – 2,000,000,000

**(Before you review, YES, I know the power levels are ridiculous here, but think about it. If we take any of these power levels literally or at face value, neither of the human characters would've stood a lick of a chance against the Cell Jrs, nor would they have given them any kind of trouble during their fights, especially if each of them is said to be as powerful as Perfect Cell. If you move away from the manga and watch the fight in the anime, the human Z-fighters manage to hold out for a little while and even manage to smack around a few of the Cell Jrs a couple of times, though this is only to dramatic effect. And this is supposedly when Cell and his clones are over a hundred… or a thousand times stronger than them.**

**I think it is during the whole Android Saga where the power scaling really starts going out of whack, and people like Krillin, Yamcha and Tien, people even weaker than a Super Saiyan, survive even longer than a minute against creatures/androids dozens of times more powerful than Final Form Frieza).**

Piccolo (after training in Hyperbolic Time Chamber) – 3,200,000,000

Vegeta – 50,000,000

Super Saiyan Vegeta – 2,500,000,000

Super Saiyan 2nd Grade Vegeta (+50%) – 3,750,000,000

Mirai Trunks – 50,000,000

Super Saiyan Mirai Trunks – 2,500,000,000

Super Saiyan 2nd Grade Mirai Trunks (+50%) – 3,750,000,000

xxx

Goku (Post Hyperbolic Time Chamber): 100,000,000

Super Saiyan Goku (Full Power – x50)- 5,000,000,000

Perfect Cell: 5,000,000,000 to 6,000,000,000

Perfect Cell (Zenkai): 7,000,000,000

xxx

Cell Juniors (Each) – 6,000,000,000

Perfect Cell (Full Power): 8,000,000,000

Gohan (Post Hyperbolic Time Chamber) - 120,000,000

Super Saiyan Gohan (Full Power – x50) – 6,000,000,000

Super Saiyan 2 Gohan (SSJ x2) – 12,000,000,000

Super Saiyan 2 Gohan – 12,500,000,000

Super Saiyan 2 Gohan (Wounded) – 7,500,000,000

Super Perfect Cell (Zenkai) – 11,000,000,000

OOO

**Bojack Saga:**

Yamcha – 12,500,000

Krillin – 32,000,000

Tien – 42,000,000

Android 18 – 700,000,000

Android 17 – 700,000,000

Piccolo – 3,800,000,000

Vegeta – 54,000,000

Super Saiyan Vegeta – 2,700,000,000

Super Saiyan 2nd Grade Vegeta (+50%) – 4,050,000,000

Mirai Trunks – 54,000,000

Super Saiyan Mirai Trunks – 2,700,000,000

Super Saiyan 2nd Grade Mirai Trunks (+50%) – 4,050,000,000

Gohan – 150,000,000

Super Saiyan Gohan – 7,500,000,000

Super Saiyan 2 Gohan – 15,000,000,000

xxx

Gokuha – 1,000,000,000

Super Hera Gokuha – 4,000,000,000

Bujin – 3,500,000,000

Bido – 3,800,000,000

Zangya – 5,000,000,000

Bojack – 6,000,000,000

Super Hera Bojack – 11,000,000,000

* * *

**Dragonball Z - Alter Age Power levels:**

Salza – 27,000,000

Glamourous Salza (Gigantification x35) – 945,000,000

Myra – 26,000,000

Super Hera Myra (x50) – 1,300,000,000

Neiz – 24,000,000

Neiz (Raiken/Lightning Fist x35) – 840,000,000

Dore – 24,000,000

Buff Dore (Gigantification x35) – 840,000,000

Gohan – 25,000,000

Oozaru Gohan (x10) – 250,000,000

Pseudo-Super Saiyan Gohan (x20) – 500,000,000

Super Saiyan Gohan (x50) – 1,250,000,000

Super Oozaru Gohan (SSJ x10) – 12,500,000,000

Gohan (Post Zenkais) – 30,000,000

xxx

Lucoa (Base) – 25,000,000

Giant Dragon Lucoa – 250,000,000

Burning State Lucoa – 500,000,000

Inferno State Lucoa (x50) – 1,250,000,000

Giant Inferno Dragon Lucoa – 12,500,000,000

xxx

Cooler (4th/Final Form – 100%) – 330,000,000

Cooler (5th/Evolved Form) – 1,320,000,000

Cooler (5th/Evolved Form – Full Power) – 2,300,000,000

Zangya – 5,000,000,000

Zangya (Energy drained) – 2,500,000,000

xxx

Lord Slug (Post Rebirth – Suppressed) – 260,000,000

Lord Slug (True Power – Potential Unlocked) – 2,800,000,000

Lord Slug, The Super Namek (Energy Absorbed) – 5,200,000,000


	25. Lord Slug Saga - Victory or Bust

**ANNOUNCEMENT:** If you guys didn't catch it before, but after months of labour I finally _**COMPLETED my GohanXZangya doujinshi on my paetreon**_. You can find the fully coloured copies on my paetreon and through DLsite – GohanXZangya: Fiery Lake. I also have two short comics of GohanXAndroid 18 and GohanXChi-Chi posted on my paetreon for anyone interested in checking them out.

For anyone wondering why I've been away from fanfiction for a while, my comics are my reason. But I'll still be posting as best as I can.

**This is it, the final chapter of the Lord Slug Saga.**

* * *

**DRAGONBALL Z**

_**Alter Age**_

_Victory or Bust_

(Meanwhile)

High above Lord Slug's war planet and currently in orbit inside the massive asteroid field tumbling around the world's curve, the battle between Gohan, Lucoa, and the fighters they'd dragged up into the vacuum with them was finally entering its final stretch. And what a banging stretch it was turning out to be.

After having a large asteroid the size of a mansion get thrown right into her face by the Golden Oozaru, which sent her tumbling through the field and smashing through several more rocks in the process, the massive dragon girl landed against a significantly larger asteroid and decided to return his attack with an even bigger one. Ruffling her wings and spines in frustration- and creating a very rocky platform for Dore and Wings still fighting on her left shoulder in a heated punch-up- the battle-damaged dragon roared and sent the flames gushing off her hide in a flashy display of rage.

As Gohan- crouching down on his large space rock in a defensive stance- felt the dragon's energy spike drastically, then noticed behind the lizard's form the enormous chunks of the nearby moon, which had been smashed to pieces by the Cosmic Storm, suddenly light up a hot orange. Its remains transforming into burning, intact masses of magma, the Giant Ape then felt his jaw drop when he saw Lucoa fan her wings out, draw them back, before telekinetically pulling all the remains of the distant satellite towards her.

The moment she did, Lucoa then slammed both her forward feet into the meteor in front of her, crouched low, and wilfully hurled every single piece of the moon she'd set alight straight at Gohan- literally dropping a meteor shower right on top of him.

When burning rubble, the size of islands, and massive, lava-heated rocks began blasting through the asteroid belt, smashing into more rocks and sending them on a collision course towards the Golden Great Ape's position, Gohan responded in kind. Inhaling deeply, the Super Saiyan leaned forward and unleashed a _Blitz Cannon_ right into the incoming shower, firing a massive golden beam into many oncoming rocks and incinerating them. Cutting through several more and smashing them into smaller pieces, the giant ape then leapt off his platform when the rest of the shower finally reached him and obliterated the asteroid he had been standing on.

As mountain-sized chunks of burning rubble barrelled through the asteroid field, Gohan spent the next minute dodging the flaming debris and leaping from asteroid to asteroid through the hail. Punching through an oncoming lava plate and smashing right through it like a glass window, the boy then landed on another incoming rock and grabbed hold of it with all fours, making sure to keep his form steady atop it so that Myra- who was on his right shoulder fighting Zeeun- didn't fall off.

Flying backwards atop the mobile flaming asteroid as it fell towards the planet below with the rest of the shower, the Golden Ape then glared through the debris field in frantic search of his opponent. He eventually spotted her when the Giant Dragon came ploughing her way through the meteor shower and dove right towards him, screeching loudly.

Telegraphing her approach, Gohan gave a roar, extended his hand, and opened with a blast at her through the cascading debris. But due to falling with the asteroids towards the ice planet his attack missed, exploding behind her when it hit a random meteorite. As a result, the dragon ploughed right into him with her massive form, knocking him off his meteorite and sending both of them falling with the flaming asteroids.

The battle from there transformed from an explosive exchange in space to a freefall battle, in which the two hulking opponents began plummeting towards the planet below with the falling asteroids. Being entirely dictated by gravity, the pieces of the moon fell with the curvature of the planet, traveling across its thermosphere before eventually hitting the upper layer of its atmosphere. As soon as it did, the meteorites began to burn up, lighting up the sky with a wall of fire as they breached the planet's defensive range and towards the clouds.

As everything burned around them, Gohan and Lucoa continued their fight. The two titans, grappling with each other, continued to slug one another with punches that generated massive shockwaves and caused thunderclaps to echo across the upper mesosphere. Ignoring the fact that they were both on fire, the dragon and the ape tumbled head over heel over each other, grabbing hold of their opponent and laying into them with one punishing blow after another.

As for Myra, Dore and their opponents, all four of them were taken for the ride of their lives as their surroundings became engulfed by fire, with each and every one of them grabbing hold of their mobile platforms with all the grip strength they could muster. While Dore and Wings fell down Lucoa's body and caught hold of her tail to stop from flying off into space, Myra and Zeeun got entangled in Gohan's golden hair, with both warriors holding onto the locks as they were pulled back down to the planet along with the two giants and the broken up moon chunks.

"GAAAAAAAAH! FUCKING HELL!" Zeeun swore profusely, his armoured body whipping about like a streamer on the wind as he held onto Gohan's hair like it was a chain. "

During the fall, Lucoa, being the tenacious lizard that she was, grabbed Gohan from behind, swung him forward, and used his body as a heat shield during their re-entry sequence through the mesosphere. Thanks to her arm lock, the boy ended up catching all the heat as they ploughed through the opening layers of the planet- at least for a little while.

After having his face scorched for several seconds against the winds of their violent descent, a frustrated Gohan- using all his strength and his free arm- swung his limb back and began repeatedly elbowing Lucoa in the face. Hitting her four times in the jaw with murderous precision, he managed to force the dragon to loosen her grip, before eventually grabbing her in a headlock, spinning her around, and using her body as a heatshield instead. Both warriors roared and screamed at each other as they spun through the dense layers of air racing up to meet them- their velocity building up to the point that it was a miracle both hadn't been incinerated from how much fire was gushing around them.

Eventually, after a harrowing journey through the mesosphere, the two titans and the asteroids broke through into the upper stratosphere, the flames once engulfing them eventually ebbing away, and allowing whatever debris remained from the falling moon chunks to plummet freely into the Eclipse-I's sky. As this was going on, Gohan- who'd previously been on top- found himself beneath his opponent when she pivoted them around and managed to bite into his neck. Letting out a scream of pain, the Super Saiyan Oozaru reached out, grabbed a chunk of rock falling nearby, and smashed it against her head.

He hit her with such force he not only shattered the rock but forced her to let go of him with a yelp. The two fighters separated as a result and, as their angle of descent continued to hold steady with the field of debris, the pair began falling side-by-side towards the first layer of clouds.

When they eventually reached the first cloud layers, both the falling Gohan and Lucoa took shots at each other- with Lucoa unleashing a fire breath on the boy, who shielded himself with his arm before pitching a golden ball of ki into her. The explosion knocked her tumbling back, stopping her attack, and knocking both Wings and Dore off her. The two bulky fighters fell alongside their larger partners, with the duo diving towards each other to continue pummelling each other while falling through the heavens.

As for Myra and Zeeun, thanks to the quick exchange of attacks, the two fighters were also knocked out of Gohan's hair and separated, both immediately taking control of their dives and dodging the rocks that fell around them. After falling for several seconds through the debris, watching Gohan and Lucoa tumble around as well to return to the fight, both the Hera and her demonic tank of a foe decided to reengage. So, after Myra landed against the side of a falling meteorite and sprinted down the side of it, she then sprung off it and dove towards Gohan's back.

Gohan, managing to give himself a kick of ki toward his feet, shot towards Lucoa and threw a punch at her, the dragon reciprocating his action and slamming her fist against his. The moment their knuckles connected, a massive shockwave rang out that sent vibrations running up their bodies and shattered some of the surrounding rocks. Continuing to fall together, Lucoa then threw a slash at the Oozaru's face, only for the golden giant to catch it and hold it.

With both warriors holding onto one another, Myra and Zeeun landed atop them. The instant the former dropped down onto her partner's back, the redhead then sprinted up his back, over his shoulder, and down his arm. The demon did the same, leaping over Lucoa's shoulder spike, landing on her arm, and charging towards his foe.

"HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Myra screamed, running straight towards Zeeun and greeting him with a punch the instant both arrived at the fists where both Gohan and Lucoa were still connected.

"GRAAAAAAAAHHHH! DIIIIIEEEEE!" Zeeun screamed, also throwing a hook at the woman, which resulted in both the Super Hera and the demon general hitting each other across the face at virtually the same time.

Both being knocked back by their respective blows, the pair then skidded back along their giant partner's forearms, before rushing back in to continue. When the commander lunged in with a left jab, the Hera-seijin slipped under it, got behind him, and struck at him with a kick. Getting struck, Zeeun yelped in pain and spun around with a back fist, feeling the woman block it before countering with a one-two cross to his face- the blows crunching against his nose. From there, the pair began a vicious exchange of blows atop their partner's massive knuckles, with Gohan and Lucoa continuing to grapple furiously as they plummeted past clouds and falling rocks- the ground of the ice planet below rapidly approaching.

Dore and Wings meanwhile, after both smashed through a meteorite with each other, continued to spin and tumble through the sky while the two main heavyweights battled in the centre.

The situation looked quite perilous. With the two titans trading blows amidst a meteor shower, it was reasonable to suspect that any collision with the planet at this stage would result in an impact of apocalyptic proportions.

But then, as the duo fell, the final round reached its decision.

After crossing her arms over her face and blocking a haymaker from Zeeun, which knocked her sliding down Gohan's extended arm, the Hera glared up to see the armoured warrior sprint forward and swing his arm back.

"You're done, pixie!" the man shouted.

The moment he yelled, Myra- cracking a smile- swung her right hand forward and pointed two fingers. "Oh yeah?!" she shouted back, before a loud hum followed by a red, crescent-shaped arc of energy suddenly flew up from behind Gohan's overgrown shoulder, shot down his arm, and flew towards the Hera-seijin.

As it turns out, the giant bow of energy that Myra had created- which had apparently been left behind when the group was unexpectedly shot up into space- was still around and active.

Zeeun was caught completely by surprise.

The moment Myra ducked, her giant bow flew over her head and slammed head-long into the approaching demon. Hitting him square in the stomach, the man had all the wind knocked out of his lungs as he was picked up by the energy arc, sent screaming down Lucoa's arm, before being lifted and sent rocketing up into space. A cry of terror left the demon commander's throat as his body remained pressed flush against the front of the bow, during which time Myra guided her energy-made construct up into the sky and back out of the planet's atmosphere.

Once she was sure the man had cleared the stratosphere, the woman retracted her fingers and made a fist. "Boom," she said, a split second before a red flash and an explosion in the distance marked the detonation of her bow- and Zeeun along with it. Upon seeing the flash of her blast fade away against the sky, Myra dropped her extended arm and chuckled. "I win."

Before she could fully indulge in her victory, the Hera-seijin realized that she was in a rough spot and quickly leapt away. At that exact time, Gohan and Lucoa retracted their hands from one another to take another swing at each other. While the giant dragon managed to take a swipe, the demi-Saiyan giant was able to time her swing and duck under it, before yanking himself forward and ramming into her snout with a headbutt. Following the loud clap that resulted from his impact, the golden ape then sprang over her, twisted her arm and wing behind her, and landed right on her flaming back. While keeping the lizard's appendages trapped, the giant ape snapped his arm around her neck from behind and crushed himself against her, grinning broadly as they continued to fall together.

"_**COME HERE, LU-CHAN!"**_ Gohan shouted, his arm swelling as he kept the dragon girl's head firmly trapped in his grip._** "I'M GONNA SQUASH YAH!"**_

When Lucoa attempted to shake herself out of his vice-like grip one last time, the giant lizard then recoiled when she noticed, through the wind and perspiration, that they had fallen through the last layer of cloud and were just a few hundred feet above the ground. Golden eyes widening, all the trapped dragon could do in that moment was shriek in alarm and writhe violently, a split second before her massive body impacted the planet's surface… with the Oozaru Gohan using her as a cushion.

What happened next happened almost in an instant… and was about as catastrophic as things came.

Amidst the heavy meteor shower, a massive shockwave in the form of transparent dome of highly concentrated air, detonated from Gohan and Lucoa's point of impact, which then rippled across the entire face of the planet. Dore, who was still engaged in battle with Wings atop one of the asteroids plummeting towards the ground, was just in the process of choking out his burly opponent when a blast of wind several thousand times more powerful than the fiercest gale tore through their asteroid and ripped it to shreds. The blast was so sudden it knocked the green fighter flying across the valley and sent Wings screaming out of his grip- effectively separating the two beefy warriors and putting an end to their match right then and there.

As the pair tumbled through the cyclone of dust and rock, every single asteroid and mountain within a fifty mile radius was instantaneously turned to powder as the outward travelling blast of force caused the ground to warp, and sent a tidal wave of earth and ice tearing across over half of the world's surface.

Much like his earlier body slam, the force generated by Gohan's impact with Lucoa could be seen from space- travelling across the mobile planet in the form of a rapidly expanding ring of white, which not only left multiple, visual fractures in its wake, but also cleared every remaining cloud in the atmosphere. What's more, the force the Golden Oozaru managed to land with was so pronounced that the entire planet literally cracked in two, as noted by the enormous chasm that split along the equator of the world from north to south.

From a distance, the cracking planet looked like an eggshell breaking. That more or less gave anyone who was watching an idea of the amount of chaos going on down on the surface.

Myra- despite having been well over five miles above the impact- was knocked spiralling back up towards the stratosphere. When she managed to correct herself and stop her ascent amidst the turbulent winds, she was able to look back down through the now clear sky to see the whopping crater left behind by the blast and the enormous tear running along the entire curvature of the planet. Gaping in shock for several seconds at the flattened landscape and the gaping chasm, the Hera quickly collected herself, powered up, and dove back down towards the planet's surface.

When she reached the very heart of the crash site, the Super Hera discovered to her astonishment Gohan- back in his normal form and clad in his tattered purple spandex, boots and gloves- standing upright and over the body of his opponent.

Having also been knocked back to her base form from the landing, the barely conscious and miraculously still intact Lucoa, her wings and limbs splayed out in the dirt and ice, was lying on her back, in the ground, covered in multiple bruises, cuts and burns. Her head and fingers twitching, the maroon lizard's form was laid out for the entirely world to see- her top and thong having been completely incinerated in the battle and leaving her naked.

Understandably, her current state of dress was not what had Gohan so transfixed, but the fact that even in this defeated state, she still posed a potential threat. That was why the demi-Saiyan remained at her feet, poised with his fists clenched and his glare fixed squarely upon her mug.

Tapping down behind her teammate, Myra quickly walked up to the boy and stood by his side- joining him in his squaring off with the now seemingly defeated dragon girl. "Is it over?"

Gohan, relaxing a little when he heard the Hera's voice, nodded his head slowly. "Yes. She's done. Her stamina finally cut out."

In response, the teal-skinned warrior breathed a heavy and well-earned sigh of relief. "Finally. Thank the Gods…"

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Several miles away)

After being sent careening clear across the continent amidst the curls of the shockwave generated by Gohan's landing on top of Lucoa, Dore had found himself in the rather awkward position of being lodged into the side of a very steep hill. The ridge, having been formed as a result of the tidal wave of rock and ice that'd been sent rippling across the planet, sat amidst an utterly decimated field not too far from the valley where Slug's forces had been engaged with the armies of Cooler.

His landing had not been a gentle one by any stretch of the imagination. Being sent tumbling through a vortex of ice and dust had not only fucked with his mental compass, but his collision with the rocky landscape had been enough to rattle both his head and organs. As a result, the helmet-wearing wrestler was left lying sprawled out in a rather sizable crater of his own, half his armour gone, head protector cracked, and a rather dazed look on his face.

Upon blacking out for a full minute and regaining consciousness, it took a little while for Dore to regain his bearings- as well as feeling throughout the rest of his bulky form. Despite being powered up to his absolute maximum in his gigantification state, the landing had still hurt like a bitch.

The shock of the whole situation had left the man at a bit of a loss… and gave him cause to wonder as to whether his opponent faired better in his landing. Doing a quick scan with his scouter of the vicinity, Dore was soon given his answer when he saw Wings' ki signature was no longer registering on the planet and that there were no other signs of the demon commander. This told him the guy was either dead or he had been knocked out cold.

Either way, he had won.

"Ha… take that, you fat fuck," Dore groaned, pulling himself out of the human-shaped dent he'd formed in the rock and moaning as the bits of rock crumbled down from his neck and shoulders. "Heheh-heh… aaahhh… man… I'll definitely be feeling this in the morning," he sighed, wincing when he felt the sting from his muscles shout back at him.

By his calculations, the amount of fatigue and damage he'd accumulated would not be easy to shake off. However, just as he was beginning to think he'd be stuck trying to crawl out of his ditch he'd created for the next half an hour, a sudden warmth followed by a renewed sense of vigour flooding through him woke the man from his stupor.

Feeling his senses, nerves and muscles come back to life amidst the gradually spreading heat, Dore gave a few blinks of surprise before quickly glancing to his right. There, crouching beside him on the ice, he saw the familiar brown, furry form of one of Gohan's three kitsune girlfriends- Riko- kneeling beside him with her dark hands extended towards him.

Still wearing an intact set of purple spandex and boots, the little kitsune with the short orange tail and rounded ears smiled when she saw her trainer look up at her as waves of light, golden energy left her palms and flooded over him. During which time, a high-pitched humming sound could be heard ringing through the air around them.

Riko smiled when she saw Dore's eyes fix on her. "Hold still, Dore-sensei. I'll have you back on your feet in a moment."

Staring at her for a few moments as the golden light continued to course over him, the man then looked down at his body. There, from his fingers to his toes, he saw every injury and wound he'd received over the course of his fight with Wings slowly fade away under the light, which not only healed all his scratches, but also seeming washed away all his burns. At the same time, the numbness and fatigue that had once been racking his form was also lifted, sending a new wave of strength coursing through the stunned wrestler.

His brain quickly running circles over this development, Dore then choked out. "You… can use healing magic, kit? Since when?"

"Kida, Rei and I have been working on new skills between our lessons with you and the squad," Riko informed, grinning proudly as she saw the astonishment fill the man's eyes. "This is so that the three of us can become more effective members on the team and help you guys out on your future missions. Though we've gotten better at using our magic over the last few weeks, we still have a lot to learn and master. I'm sorry, sensei, but this will take a few minutes."

Nodding in understanding, Dore then put on a serious air once again as he sat still and allowed Riko to do her thing. "Tell me… what's the status of the troops at the front? Has the army made it to the citadel yet?"

By his calculations, thanks to the stiff resistance put up by Lord Slug's ground forces, the assault across the western plains should've taken about an hour or so to successfully complete. After everything that'd happened so far, the soldiers must've made it to their objective.

It was at that point an incredibly anxious look came over the brown kitsune's face. "The attack was going well. The first and second groups had come to within a hundred meters of the main building and were just about to storm up the hill to surround it. But then Cooler-sama ordered a full retreat."

Eyes widening, Dore's gaze snapped back to the fox as her hands began to shake. Obviously concentrating on keeping her technique going and talking at the same time wasn't an easy thing for her to do at this stage. "Lord Cooler ordered his forces to pull back from the objective? Why?"

"I don't know, sir. Commanders Gray and Raino radioed all the officers at the front of the advance to pull their men back to the drop ships. My friends and I were covering the division's retreat when another massive storm suddenly dropped down right on top of us," Riko said shakily, her eyes narrowing as she continued to feed mana into her technique. "The lightning tore through our flanks and cut across our back before we had any time to react."

"Damn it," Dore cursed. "What are the casualties?"

"Unknown. But most of the soldiers managed to get to cover before that huge shockwave rolled in over the battlefield. My friends and I were able to protect the people near us with a shield, but most of the army still wound up getting tossed across the valley," Riko informed, before shaking her head and tensing up. "Commander Raino has ordered all units to regroup at the drop site."

Clicking his tongue, Dore placed a hand atop his knee and squeezed it tightly. "I have to get back to the others. No doubt they're going to need my help." A bead of sweat then trickled down the side of the man's head. _"Especially if the fleet is in trouble…"_

He would get moving to where Gohan and Myra currently were, who he could feel standing on the edge of his current sense's range. Just as soon as he got strength back in his legs.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Back at the crater)

Approximately a few minutes after Gohan had given confirmation of his opponent's defeat, Myra- having spent that time catching her breath- glanced up towards the sky when she sensed another presence pop up on her radar. Tracing the horizon briefly for a sign, she then spotted Captain Salza fly in from over one of the distant ridges and blast towards them while coated in his purple aura.

Seconds of waiting later, she then watched as the elite team's leader touched down on the edge of the ditch with a light thump. His arrival, coupled with the gust of wind he gave off on landing, was enough to rouse the semi-conscious Lucoa out of her slumber. Groaning as her eyes blinked open, the anthropomorphic dragon then took note of the cold floor she was lying on, as well as the blurred figures that were standing over her.

By the time Salza marched over to where Gohan and Myra were positioned, the maroon dragon girl's vision had finally cleared. When she saw the trio looking down at her, her yellow eyes blinked wide and, in that instant, she froze.

Glancing between their faces at a frantic pace, not only did the dragon notice the serious and incredibly intimidating glares they were fixing her with, but the look in the newly arrived Captain's eyes was one of anger and loathing. It was an expression that she was all too familiar with and one that had the weakened girl's chest clench tightly with a horrid, sickening feeling.

_Fear_.

Upon narrowing his gaze on the now wide-awake dragonoid, Salza turned his attention to Gohan and addressed him as any good, attentive officer would. "What's the matter, kid? Your target is defeated. Aren't you going to finish her off?" he asked, gesturing to the winged female lying in front of them. Upon uttering those words and waving in her direction, he and the other members of the squadron saw the lizard girl push herself off the ground, and shakily try to back away. From the way her body was now starting to twitch and shiver, it was clear that she was frightened. "Come on. She's getting back up."

"W-Wait… please…" When she attempted to back up, her arm gave out and the dragon girl fell back into the ground. The instant she did, she then weakly curled up and crossed her arms over her bare chest. "P-Please… I… I… don't hurt me anymore… please…"

Sighing when he saw the girl's response, Salza took a step forward, raised his hand, and aimed it towards her. "If both of you are out of energy, I'll take care of it. Don't worry, I'll make this quick." He then extended his trigger finger and pointed it towards her head.

Gasping, Lucoa then shut her eyes and curled up even more, her tail swinging around to drape over her body. "N-No. Please…"

Salza, flicking one of his long bangs out of his significantly longer hair, frowned deeply. "You won't feel a thing, dear. I promise," he said, the tip of his finger beginning to glow. However, just as he was training his aim on her forehead, the man then recoiled when his view became blocked by Gohan jumping in front of him and standing his ground. The Captain quickly retracted his hand when he saw the fierce look reflected on the boy's face. "Gohan? What the hell are you-?"

The demi-Saiyan promptly shook his head at the Brench-seijin. "She's beaten. There's no need to kill her, Captain."

Blinking, Salza slowly lowered his arm. "Huh? And why not?" He then nodded to the girl over the boy's shoulder. "You saw how powerful she was… how much damage she's done. If we don't take this chance to finish her off now, she could get a second wind and come back to slaughter every single one of us. Including you!"

Gohan, quickly looking behind her and at Lucoa, who he could see was gazing up at him in disbelief, then turned back to his captain. "She won't, sir. Please. You… you have to trust me."

Salza, clenching his teeth, stepped towards the boy and spoke to him. More firmly this time. "I'm sorry, Gohan. But our orders are clear. Cooler-sama has given our squad the task of crushing Lord Slug and his forces and rescuing his nephew from the hands of that mad despot. And that's exactly what we're going to do."

"And we will, sir," Gohan replied quickly, puffing his chest out and looking straight up at the man standing before him. The boy's glare hardened when he saw his superior's glare intensify. "But I've bested Lu-chan. She will not harm anyone else anymore. I promise you."

"Oh yeah? And how can you be certain she won't?" Salza asked, at the same time sensing Myra step around them as the tension between the pair started to tighten. "How do you know she won't try to attack our troops? Destroy our fleet? Or transform into a giant monster and start wiping out everything in her sight again?"

"She won't," Gohan answered quickly, his expression unwavering as he looked back into the team leader's gaze. "I can see it in her eyes. I can sense it. Whatever was wrong with her before… whatever was forcing her to do all those things… it's gone now. And she's free." He then turned and looked back at the dragon, who he saw had uncurled herself and was staring up at them with a look of uncertainty on her face. "She won't attack us. Will you?"

When Salza saw the girl shake her head, the Captain scoffed. "And how can WE be sure this isn't some ploy by her master to try and fool us? To let our guards down and then hit us when our backs are turned?"

"We don't," Gohan answered, quickly turning back to his superior and speaking with calm assertiveness. "But I trust my instincts. The bad stuff in her… it's no longer there. I'll bet my life on it."

Understandably Salza was left both hesitant and doubtful, with Myra also appearing somewhat conflicted. Both members of the squadron shared looks with one another, with the Hera-seijin giving a shrug to the officer and an apprehensive glance towards Gohan. However, when the pair looked back at the demi-Saiyan, saw the expression on his face, and then watched as the battered Lucoa slowly and timidly crawled over to hide behind his leg- gripping hold of the spandex with her fingers for good measure- the pair of older fighters felt the tension in their bodies and their suspicions of the enemy combatant slowly ebb.

Looking at the dragon girl now- taking note of her scared face, her trembling shoulders, and the way she was attempting to hide her larger body behind Gohan's noticeably smaller one- gave off all the signs that she no longer posed any sort of hostility or aggression towards any of them. It was a fact that was reinforced when she leaned against the Saiyan's leg and started to shiver and sniffle against him, something that had Myra relax and a sigh of defeat leave her lips.

"I think Gohan's right, Captain," Myra said, placing a hand on her hip as she faced her superior in earnest. "She was his opponent and he beat her fair and square. He's had enough time to suss her out. If he says she's no longer a threat, then I believe him."

Analysing both the demi-Saiyan and the dragon girl for several more tense moments, Salza- against all convictions and discipline fortifying his body and spirit- twitched and trembled as he strained his gaze skywards. His mind working a thousand miles a minute, the man felt every facet of his very being rally to coerce him. To tell him that sparing this girl was wrong and that he should finish the deed Gohan had started. However, upon considering the unshakable words of both his subordinates and seeing the pleading look in his youngest soldier's eyes- staring up at him all wide and pleading- the man eventually let out a groan of resignation and rolled his gaze over.

Immediately thereafter, the Brench-seijin swung a hand up and ran it through his extra-long bangs hanging over his forehead. "Uugghh… I know I'm going to get my ass chewed out for this later, but fine. Fine! Have it your way," the man groaned, before dropping his hand and pointing down at the surprised Gohan. "But once all this is over, you and I are going to have a good, long talk about this insubordination. Understand?"

Sensing the Captain's hostility lift, Gohan perked up and nodded his head happily. "Yes, sir." When he then saw Salza take a step back, the demi-Saiyan then glanced down at the dragon girl hanging off his leg. Seeing the reptile glance up at him, the boy smiled warmly.

In response to the youngster's gaze and grin, the once shivering girl felt a soothing feeling wash over her, and an odd sensation tickle in her chest. Staring for a bit, the maroon girl blinked before smiling as well, before then resting her cheek against his thigh in a rather affectionate manner.

After Myra chuckled at the sight of the once volatile dragon girl cosying up to her opponent's limb, the redhead then turned her attention to the massive crater surrounding them and began to look around. Her gazing passing over the enormous cliff towering over them to the gaping chasm behind, the Hera-seijin shook her head at the sheer amounts of damage they had done.

"The battle at the front must be in shambles. We have to go help," the woman answered, before quickly turning her attention to Salza. "Do you think everything is alright?"

"Are you that concerned with how other soldiers are dying?"

Jumping in alarm at the voice that cut through the air, the trio wheeled of squadron members wheeled around and focused on the cliff several hundred yards away. There, up at the top of the incline, they saw the tall, caped, and imposing form of the very person that had started this whole mess.

The leader of the invaders.

The head of the snake.

Lord Slug. His black eyes glowing like a pair of hot coals from his yellow irises and his fangs glinting through the upward curve of his grin, the leader of the demonic rebels glared down the steep towards the group standing in the centre of the newly formed crater.

At first glance Salza, Myra and Gohan had no idea who this newcomer was. However, upon quickly gauging his energy signature and sizing him up, the trio quickly realized that this stranger was the big man himself. This quickly became apparent when, joining the man on top of the ridge, two bodies suddenly levitated into view. The trio felt their eyes widen when they recognized one of the two as their force's leader, Cooler- now reverted to his Final Form and looking as though he'd been tossed into an oven.

Salza stepped forward with a stunned look on his face, "COOLER-SAMA!"

"He… He defeated him?" Myra stuttered, at the same time Gohan let out a dog-like growl and Lucoa froze up.

As Lord Slug stood front and centre on the cliff overlooking the fissure, Cooler and Zangya's floating bodies twitched and shook. When the limp form of the purple alien let out a choked cough and the woman beside him let out a groan, it quickly became clear to Salza and the others that the two warriors were still alive- albeit barely- and that the warlord holding them had the pair at his mercy.

This realization prompted Salza, Gohan and Myra to take their stances, with their next motivation being to rescue the two from the monster's clutches.

However, when he saw the trio throw their guards up, Lord Slug raised a hand and wagged his finger. "Now, now," the leader spoke, his voice firm and deep as he eyed the group at the base of the slope. "Let's not do anything the three of you will regret."

Gnashing her teeth, Myra barked up at the green-skinned devil. "Release him! NOW!"

Completely ignoring the girl's aggressive shout, the warlord chuckled, "In a minute. But first, I would like to offer you three my personal expression of admiration on account of your performances… and congratulate you on your victories." The man's eyes glinted as he lifted his head and inspected the trio of aliens at the base of the crater. "Were you lot just an ordinary group of scrubs, my henchmen would've mopped the floor with your guts till you and your friends were nothing but slurry. However, since you were able to go the distance with my elite and come out ahead, you've shown me that your team has a great deal of promise." When he saw the three below balk a little at his words, Lord Slug's grin only seemed to widen. "Such talent should not be allowed to go to waste. In fact, it needs to develop, and to make sure it develops… it needs to be _generously_ rewarded."

With the stakes set, a brief pause quickly followed. As a tense silence quickly fell over the squad in the crater, Gohan and his friends then took the moment to analyse the person they were now dealing with.

Still adorned in the black cloak that he'd been decapitated in, but with the hood now fully removed, the group of Cooler's elite saw, for the very first time since their arrival, the true face of the individual that'd assaulted Frieza's forces and challenged the Cold family to battle. Striking a form that was as girthy as he was towering, one that was clearly outlined despite being concealed beneath his shawl, the senior members of the squad assessed what they could see and sense.

Upon inspecting his skin tone, the scar over his left eye, his pointy ears, and the antenna protruding from above his brow, both Salza and Myra made a rather startling discovery.

"Hey… isn't he a-" the Hera began.

"A Namek," the Captain whispered back, his brow creasing nervously as he looked the warrior up and down. "So… that explains why those subordinates of his were so powerful."

While an extremely rare species, Namekians were regarded as an immensely strong race by many across the cosmos. Resting in the upper tiers of alien classes and boasting incredible longevity, the people of this breed possessed a wide array of potent abilities, ranging from energy control, hypersensitivity, and accelerated regeneration. Considering there were so few of them left in the universe, coming across a living member of their race anywhere in the four quadrants was like encountering a green space unicorn.

However, it wasn't the warlord's species or class that was the group's main concern at the moment.

After getting a good bead on the leader's energy signature, both Salza and Myra were almost bowled over by how much power they could feeling oozing off of his body. The fact that his aura wasn't at full blast already also gave them something else to think about, because the amount of energy he had while in a passive state was absurdly high, even by their standards.

Gohan meanwhile, also having sensed how high the creep's power was registering on his scales, could feel the hair on the back of his neck and tail bristle in warning- a low snarl leaving his lips as he watched the cloaked figure continue to hold Cooler and Zangya at metaphorical knifepoint.

Myra, managing to collect herself following their quick assessment of the main antagonist, shot her next question at the warlord. "What do you want?"

Snickering, the alien slug raised his right hand and extended two fingers. "I'll cut straight to the point." He then flicked his digits forward, telekinetically sending the floating bodies of Cooler and Zangya flying forward. As a result, the pair plummeted side by side down the slope before crashing into the crater's base, where they then slid along the jagged rock and ice, and came to a grinding stop just a few feet in front of the three members of the Armoured Squadron. The moment the pair stopped sliding in a cloud of frost and groans, Lord Slug lowered his right arm and smirked. "I want you to kill them."

Salza, eyes widening, looked up from his master and towards the Namekian. "What?"

"You heard me," Lord Slug answered, his grin fading back to a smile as he leered down at the group. "The reign of the Cold Dynasty has come to an end. The great autocracy once founded by Emperor Blizzard millions of years ago, no longer possesses the strength and presence it once had over the universe. The monarchy that he and his children built during the twilight of the gods has fallen from its lofty pedestal, and descended into a warring state between cartels, where two of its current heirs are constantly fighting one another for control over the dominion's territories and resources. The father who oversees their activities has taken no action to stop them. Instead, he fuels their conflict, perpetuating an endless cycle of hatred, death and destruction across the stars that is rapidly eroding his kingdom from the inside out." The warlord then puffed his chest out and concluded his rant with an assertive statement. "I believe it's time to put an end to this madness."

Hearing all this loud and clear, while at the same time watching as both the stricken Cooler and Zangya struggled to get back up, Myra then stepped forward. "And how exactly do you plan to do that?" She then swung an arm out and gestured across the massive crater they were standing in. "Your planet-destroying warship has been wrecked beyond repair. Your armies have been completely wiped out. And your greatest generals are either dead or out of action. How do you intend to end anything in this universe now that all of your pawns and assets have been swept off the board?"

Hearing the woman's retorts, Lord Slug chuckled before slowly raising both his arms and holding them out- taking a stance that was similar to a preacher's. "I have travelled the unknown regions of space. I have ventured far beyond the stars and the void… past the precipice that lies on the edge of our creation. The worlds that I've seen, the lifeforms I've encountered, and the truths I have discovered… they are far beyond the comprehension of mere, weak-minded mortals like yourselves," the warlord said, taking a deep breath before exhaling deeply in relief. "Through the threshold of space and time, between the physical and the astral… I heard _him_ call out to me. Beckoning me to his side… showing me the way."

This completely threw Myra off- the Hera blinking in confusion. "Him?"

"A Great One, shaped and formed out of matter that has no name in any tongue. The one born of the fumes of stars- he now lies deep in eternal slumber… though ever conscious of everything going on around him. And from the throes of his death-like sleep, his voice whispers endlessly between the cracks of our reality, touching every mind of every living creature in existence. From the abyss he reached out to me… and through his words I was given the gift of sight," Lord Slug spoke, his words causing Salza and Myra to look at one another worriedly in confusion, before they turned back to the warlord to see his eyes shut and a calm expression fall over him. "_That is not dead, which can eternal lie. And with strange aeons even death may die_." Opening his eyes once more, the Namekian looked back down at the crater and grinned. "Through his wisdom I glimpsed the future. I know what death awaits you all. Soon, I shall become the Great One's vessel… and with his might I shall strike down every last dominion dwelling amidst this cluster… and reshape the stars in my _glorious_ image. THAT is the future he has shown me. THAT is my destiny." He then lowered his arms before pointing a finger down at the group below. "This war is my test. My trial to please him. Pledge your loyalty to me… and all of you shall have a chance to share in the riches and become part of this great, new world I intend to create."

By the time Lord Slug reached the end of his sermon, both Salza and Myra were unable to stop gaping up at him. Beads of sweat running down their heads, the pair shakily exchanged one last look, before the Captain of the Squadron stammered out.

"You're insane," the blonde retorted, watching as Lord Slug lowered his arm and smirked.

"If you believe sanity led to the creation of all life, then you are sorely mistaken. Thanks to the treasure I was bestowed by the Great One, I have risen from the depths of the dark abyss to cleanse the universe of the filth that is King Cold's bloodline. I shall burn him and his family's legacy to the ground… and from the ashes of their failure a new regime shall be born. An Eternal, _Dark Empire_, ruled by sorcery and mysticism- where every creature will be able to achieve what only the most disciplined and worthy have ever accomplished. Freedom of the mind… all under _MY_ enlightened rule." Once his piece was said, Lord Slug allowed his grin to tug back full force as he began blasting the group with waves of killing intent and bloodlust. The sheer amount caused the air to tremble and a cold, sickening feeling to wash through Salza and Myra, as the pair took a cautious step back. "I won't prattle on with my divine knowledge any further. Kill the prince and his father's slave. Kill them and the three of you can take your rightful place at _**my**_ side." When his eyes shifted to Lucoa, who he could see was lying behind Gohan, the Namekian paused for a moment before smirking. "And kill _her_ too."

While Salza and Myra both recoiled in alarm, the demi-Saiyan, with wide eyes and a slack jaw, looked back at the Ryujin lying behind him, before turning back to the warlord in shock. "She's your ally! Your soldier! Why would you want us to kill her?"

Lord Slug grunted while smiling darkly. "She is weak. Broken. A decaying relic of a past era whose worth expired the moment you brought her to her knees. I have no patience for useless, broken things, and I refuse to suffer her presence any longer. Kill her… and prove to me that you, my boy, have the strength of spirit and body to stand beside my throne as _my_ servant."

At first the trio said nothing, leaving the entire area drowning in dead silence. During that precious minute, both Cooler and Zangya had managed to push themselves up onto their hands, with the emperor looking up at his subordinates to see them all standing and gaping towards the top of the ridge.

Initially it seemed like the three of them were considering the warlord's offer… or were they were just so stumped by his rant that their brains were still trying to wrap around what he'd shared with them. However, all questions as to what was going on were answered shortly afterwards when, stepping forward expressions mixed with anger and outrage, Gohan, Salza and Myra moved in front of the wounded Cooler and Zangya.

The Emperor, able to see the trio standing behind him and in full view of Lord Slug, blinked at their backs and shoulders.

"Can it," Gohan snapped, his response causing the warlord's smile to disappear.

"Like hell we'd ever take orders from a scumbag like you. You're vile, cruel, and out of your bloody fucking mind!" Myra followed up, clenching her fists as she glared up at the Namekian at the top of the ridge.

"We're Cooler-sama's most loyal and trusted soldiers! The best of the best! His elite!" Salza added, standing to Gohan's left and projecting his heavily accented voice across the valley. "You don't get a title like that from being a weak-willed, treacherous dog! Our fidelity can't be bought! Not by you. Not by anyone!"

Cooler, his bludgeoned, swollen, and burnt face showing his astonishment and admiration, let out a groan as he finally got himself up until his elbows. "W-While I appreciate your unshakable devotion to me and my cause, fellas… m-maybe you should really consider taking his offer…" After all, this guy was no joke.

Hearing this remark made by her master, Myra spoke back to the emperor in her usual, tomboyish manner. "Shh. Quiet, sir. You're ruining the moment."

Gohan, looking back at the alien prince, smiled broadly. "It's okay, Cooler-sama. We got this." He then wheeled back around and returned to glaring at Lord Slug, along with his friends.

Seeing this not only had Cooler give a pained smile, but also had the observing Lucoa blink in wonder at the boy's and- by extension- the squad's show of bravery.

Lord Slug, feeling a stiff wind ruffle his cloak and send a wave of frost across the plain, then allowed a vein to form across his brow before his smile returned. Unlike before however, his grin was far more forced and intimidating. "I urge you three to reconsider. I promise you won't regret it."

Murmuring to himself, Gohan then shrugged. "Not a chance. My friends and I aren't going anywhere with you, you demented old crow. So, you can take your offer and _**shove it**_," the boy answered, before clenching his fists and sending a surge of energy through his body. His ki spiking sharply, the boy's body was then lit up by a brilliant flash, which dissipated a split second later to reveal a torrent of golden flames billowing around him like an inferno, and his black hair now shining a bright gold. As a howl of wind ripped from his body, the boy's now teal eyes fixed upon the Namekian, giving the man a full taste of his Super Saiyan form.

Zangya, feeling the kid's energy levels spike to a rather incredible height, stared at the child in awe while Salza stretched his wrist and Myra cracked her knuckles- both clearly keen for a brawl.

As for Lord Slug, upon seeing the youngest of the troop throw his offer back into his face while simultaneously flexing on him, breathed a sigh of disappointment before shaking his head. "Hmm… such a disappointment. And here I was hoping I would have at least one taker. But no matter." The moment he said this, he then flicked his coat back, swung both arms forward, and extended his fingers. When he did, orange sparks began to zap down his arms and off his nails. "Pride is the true downfall of the strong. Now all of you will experience the _full power_ of the void." His grin then returned full force as a bolt of orange lightning zipped across his chest. "_**Death is no disgrace**_."

Before Salza, Myra and Gohan could so much as blink, a bright flash followed by a torrent of orange lightning suddenly shot out of the Namekian's fingers and flew towards them in a stream. The trio took stances, preparing to receive the attack and defend the trio behind them. But just before the vortex of crackling energy could hit them, a tall shadow suddenly dropped down from the sky, landed in front of them, and caught the attack with his bear hands. Deafening thunderclaps rang out as the storm of electricity struck the newcomer and got sucked into his body- receiving the sky scorching blast in its entirety.

Realizing his attack was rapidly being absorbed, the grin on Lord Slug's face vanished, moments before he cut off his output. Arms dropping, the green warrior then watched the wall of smoke lift from between him and his targets. The moment it did, he immediately spotted the tall, crackling form of Neiz crouching defensively in front of his friends- his hands extended and bolts of orange and purple lightning zipping about him like fireworks.

Veins pulsing, the brown-skinned warrior with the big yellow eyes and intact armour grinned as he slowly lowered his steaming palms. "Heh. Thanks for the free recharge. I was starting to run a little low there," the Armoured Squadron member exclaimed, obviously taking a stab at the Namekian's attempt to fry his friends.

While grins and smiles of delight appeared on the faces of Salza, Gohan and Myra, Lord Slug was less than pleased. Eye twitching, a snarl left the man's lips as he flung back his cloak and swung his arm out. "Why you-" He then raised a finger and prepared to hock a ki bullet down at him.

Unfortunately for the Namekian he was unable to get that chance. The instant he brought his hand into charging position, a loud whoosh from the side followed by a flash marked the impact of a massive warhead suddenly slamming straight into Lord Slug's side, which detonated with the force of several thousand pounds of TNT.

_**KA-DOOOM!**_ The deep thunderclap and echo of the combusting projectile split the cliff and sent a shockwave of debris and frost tearing in multiple directions.

As a massive fireball from the proton torpedo engulfed its target, a stream of blaster fire from the sky heralded the arrival of _The Comet_\- its pilot having tracked the energy signatures of her boss and teammates to the crash site, and appearing just in time to make some much-needed noise.

The loud roar of the frigate's engines deafened the people in the crater as the ship dove down from the clouds and unloaded all its ammunition on the exposed Lord Slug. After firing the last of its torpedoes into the billowing mushroom cloud and watching the ground crumble beneath the chaos, Shira yanked back on the stick and pulled away. The streamlined arrow that was the assault ship soared clear over the fiery dome and rocketed off into the sky.

Flicking her hair back, the red-skinned beauty of a lieutenant standing behind the helm looked back through her dome-shaped window and shouted over the ship's loudspeakers, "Eat that, creep!"

Having carpet bombed the shit out of Lord Slug's position, the Comet and crew quickly made itself scarce. Once Gohan and the others watched the ship disappear over the horizon, the crew was soon joined by Dore and Riko floating down from the sky, with the green warrior in the crumbling armour touching down alongside Myra and allowing the little brown fox-girl to hop off of his back and duck behind the rest of the squadron.

While the kitsune squatted down beside the wounded Zangya, Cooler- who'd watched the whole bombardment from where he was lying- sat up and spoke through gritted teeth. "That won't even put a dent in him… not one…" Taking a deep, steady breath, the prince then raised a trembling hand and directed it at Salza. When the Captain and the others turned to ask the Emperor for instructions, the leader of the squadron received one heck of a surprise when the alien ruler fired a purple ball of energy straight into him. The sphere struck his chest and enveloped his entire body in a pulsing, pink sheet of light. When the glow faded into the warrior's skin seconds later and Salza patted himself down, an exhausted-looking Cooler smiled. "That's… *cough*… everything I have… left to give…"

Feeling his body had now become super-charged by his boss's energy, the astonished and fully recharged Salza tested his hands before glancing down at the emperor with a serious look in play. "What are your orders, sire?" Almost on cue, the fully powered up Gohan, Dore, Neiz and Myra turned to their leader.

In response, the now considerably weakened Cooler chuckled. "Do you even need to ask?" the prince replied, his right eye shutting as his consciousness teetered dangerously on the edge of blacking out. "Destroy that bastard… and save my nephew. Those are your squad's orders."

Smiling together, the group of five elite soldiers nodded. _**"Yes, sire."**_

While Riko crawled over to Prince Cooler and inspected him, Zangya- after observing the young emperor pass his energy on to Salza- decided to follow his lead and reached over to grab Myra's leg. The moment she did, the woman in white armour gave a grunt and sent a surge of bright red energy into the younger girl's body. As soon as the ki rushed up Myra's leg and enveloped her, the elite squadron member let out a squeak of surprise and looked down at her colleague.

"Take it, cousin," Zangya gasped, before looking up at the short-haired Hera with a bloody frown and a noticeably burned face. "Smash that creep… and bring him to his knees."

Myra, feeling new and potent energy flood through her, inspected her hands before nodding back to the stricken Blizzard Corp guard. "I will."

Before she and her friends could turn away, the winded Zangya quickly spoke. "Be careful. He uses magic and telekinesis to a ridiculously high level… and he can absorb energy right down to the last cell in your body." She concluded with a simple nod and a 'good luck' in her race's language._ "Va fail_."

While the group quickly processed the information given to them by the two wounded fighters, after pottering between Zangya, Cooler and Lucoa a handful of times, the crouching Riko looked up at the team from beside the prince and spoke to them in a hushed voice. "I can heal them… but it will take a while."

Dore, nodding to his little subordinate, grinned and nodded to her. "Don't worry, kit. This will be over before you can say noodles."

"Keep an eye on them, will you?" Gohan replied, looking from both Riko to Lucoa, the latter of whom the others acknowledged and saw she was sitting there, still curled up and looking curious.

Realizing she was being addressed by the Super Saiyan, the dragon girl perked up before nodding her head vigorously in acknowledgement. A rather timid response, but one that the hybrid appreciated.

With one last round of looks and smiles, the five members of _Cooler's Armoured Squadron_\- now fully assembled, healed up and ready for action once again, turned and began approaching the collapsed cliffs. Watching the smoke and frost rise up out of the newly reshaped slope, which had effectively been brought down several stories, the members of the elite spread themselves out as they marched across the cold field.

Along the way, each of them began making final preparations for a scrap. While Dore ripped off the remains of his now barely recognizable chest armour, leaving him in only his boots gloves and spats, Salza sliced off the broken shoulder accent on his left with a quick swing of a blade, Myra stretched, and Gohan tore off the remains of his shirt- leaving him in a state similar to his large, green comrade.

Upon removing his shoulder guard, Salza then looked down at his palm and wiggled his fingers. "Wow. Is this the amount of power that Cooler-sama possesses? Incredible…" From what he could feel, his energy levels had easily doubled from what they were before.

Myra, having removed her on armour also and leaving her in only a purple spandex tank-top and thong, shot a smile towards her Captain. "Our emperor has given you his strength with his blessing. You must be honoured."

Clenching his fist and sending a surge of energy rushing through his muscles, the long-haired officer and leader of the commandoes smiled back at the Hera. "I am… more than you know."

While the others stripped and flexed- warming up for their inevitable clash- Neiz activated his scouter and did a quick status update on the team. He then looked across at Gohan, whose aura was still beating around him like a fiercely burning flame. "Damn, kid. Has anyone told you how scary you are when you're excited? Your battle power is pushing past three billion right now."

Gohan, swinging his right arm across and stretching his shoulder, chuckled back at the Zalt-seijin's comment. "I'm still amped up from my fight with Lu-chan. And I still have some reserves left from my Great Ape form."

"Nice. That extra-boost should give you the edge you need," Dore chimed in, at the same time grinning across at the boy walking front and centre of their formation. "Your kitsune friend healed me up, so my fists are feeling twice as sharp as before. She did good."

"You can thank her and her friends for that later," Gohan answered, at the same time cracking his neck with a quick stretch. "But right now, we have some unfinished business to take care of."

With his sweep done, Neiz then held the hologram of his scouter on pause by holding down the button and glanced over at his teammates. "Our opponent's battle power is registering over five billion right now. In contrast, each of us is averaging over two billion each. Think it will be enough, boss?"

Myra, quickly working out the math in her head, grinned broadly while her Captain nodded. "It's more than enough."

"Remember our battle on CP-179?" Salza asked, earning glances from the rest of his team. "Let's change it up a little. Attack formation _Theta_. I want three bodies on him at all times. Got it?"

"_**Sir!"**_ Gohan, Myra, Neiz and Dore all answered in unison.

With the five now halfway across the crater and up the battered slope, the team was able to watch the air clear and the results of Shira's bombing run unveil itself. The cliff section that Lord Slug had been standing on had completely caved in- adding to the already substantially large crater's depth. However, the man who'd been the target of the Comet's assault was still alive and well.

In fact, after the frost and smoke lifted, it revealed the Namekian crouching down atop the rocks, his cloak singed and a rather annoyed expression in play. When he rose up however, he revealed only a tiny bit of soot was covering his skin and clothing, which prompted him to reach up and carelessly brush a lump of dust resting on his collar.

Spotting the group of five fighters approaching, the warlord then gave an undignified grunt and proceeded to unbuckle his cloak.

"I suppose it… can't be helped," Lord Slug groaned, allowing his cape to fall from his shoulders, revealing his thick yellow tunic buckled at the front by a large jewel, which was draped over a purple top and trousers, and brown leather boots. Upon removing his ruined shawl cape, the leader of the demonic forces immediately took off his gloves and both of his tops. Once the heavy items had been removed, the man was left wearing only his boots and trousers, allowing him to swing his arms out freely and unleash a blast of orange electricity from his skin. "Hmm… that'll do."

From there, Lord Slug proceeded to conjure up an enormous amount of energy at an alarming rate, which caused not only a bright blue aura to start radiating off his body in the form of a dense mist, but also began to alter the structure of the Namekian's form. As stiff, throbbing veins began to appear all along the alien's exposed flesh and ribbed muscles, his limbs and torso started to expand- popping and groaning as their fibres were stretched to the point of snapping.

Bulking up in the shoulder and chest areas, as well as the prominent masses in the calves, biceps, and thighs, a low growl left Lord Slug's throat as he underwent a state of gigantification of his own.

By the time Gohan and the others were about a dozen or so yards away from the madman of a tyrant, Lord Slug had managed to double in size, to the point that he towered over even Dore. It was certainly an imposing state, one that was ever magnified by the crackling of orange lightning around his body and the blue steam rising from him.

Seeing the hulking foe now standing before them had Gohan and the others frown deeply. Yet it didn't stop their approach.

"He can increase his size and mass too?" Salza whispered.

"Hmph. This guy is just full of surprises," Dore followed up, moving off to the side so that he and the other began to encircle the Namekian stomping towards them- his enormous bulk causing his footsteps to thud against the ground as if he had a couple of boulders strapped to his feet.

Myra, upon sizing up the now newly empowered Lord Slug, then addressed the others with an updated breakdown of their adversary. "He's altering his battle strategy on the spot. He must've realized his magic won't be able to hold off all five of us at once, so he's switching up his style for more close quarters combat." This meant that he was transforming from a long range, caster-style fighter to a now more unorthodox, medium range hybrid fighter. It was probably the worst kind of type imaginable.

A smirk tugging at his lips, Gohan then spoke, "Good. That means he's scared."

Their footsteps all crunching to a stop, the five members of the Armoured Squadron found themselves formed into a semi-circle around Lord Slug, who was now standing in their crosshairs and within dashing range. From there, the two sides faced off, with the Namekian glancing from left to right between all five of his targets. Electricity zapping off his body, the now significantly larger and intimidating warlord allowed his bloodlust to seep out in an attempt to throw off the squad's focus.

Sadly, for him, his efforts amounted to jack squat. All he did was cause the five members of Cooler's elite to tighten their fists and raise their power levels.

Watching from their position a hundred meters back, Zangya, Lucoa, Riko, and the young ruler of this quadrant all braced themselves as they watched the five guards square off with the boss.

Then, after a gust of wind cut across the field, the Armoured Squadron took action.

Ki spiking in unison, the five warriors then charged forward in five separate blurs, all of which blitzed a lap around Lord Slug's position before converging on him at once from multiple directions. The Namekian, reacting in kind, spun around and swung his arms out defensively, his boots sliding across the ground as he tracked all the fighters simultaneously in bullet time.

The loud roar of jets filled the air as Gohan and his friends lunged forward, a split second before a deafening thunderclap rang out when all of them struck the Namekian in perfect sync.

The squad's impact caused bolts of lightning and a gale of wind to tear out across the crater in all directions, fracturing the floor and sending frost gushing into the air in a cyclonic cloud of fumes. When the tremors stopped moments later, amidst the wall of smoke and bolts of electricity dancing across the ether, the five members of the elite group could be found with their fists extended towards Lord Slug and the Namekian tyrant standing in the heart of their kill circle- guarding against them.

How he was doing this was incredible. Not only did he manage to stop Gohan and Salza's fists from the sides by crossing his arms over and catching them with his palms, but he'd also managed to stop Myra's attack from the front against his forearms, and block Dore and Neiz striking at him from behind with a pair of densely packed plasma balls that he'd conjured out of thin air. The result was the five warriors being locked in place, their knuckles grinding against the objects stopping them from landing a clean hit on their target.

As bolts of orange lightning ran down his swelling muscles, Lord Slug- grinning broadly- then let out a chuckle of amusement.

"This is going to be fun," he remarked.

Eyes narrowing, Dore then felt his own grin appear as veins appeared along his massive arms. "Let's teach this asshole a lesson, fellas!" the man boomed, his helmet cracking before finally exploding from his head, allowing his black mane of long hair to burst free.

Similar expressions crossing their faces, Gohan, Myra, Neiz and Salza then shouted back in a gutsy response, _**"YEAH!"**_ When they did, all their auras exploded to life around them and expanded so violently that the flames of their energy almost reached the edges of the ten-mile wide crater.

The instant their ki levels skyrocketed, the group made their move. In a series of golden, green and purple blurs, the five smashed Lord Slug off his feet with a combined attack and sent his body tearing out of the crater and across the icy landscape of his dead, war planet. Chasing after him at breakneck speed, the glowing warriors converged on the Namekian as he cleared the crater's perimeter, smashing into him multiple times before from various angles with a series of hit and run blows.

With use of his arms and the two plasma balls floating just behind his shoulders, the fast-retreating Lord Slug blocked and deflected the group's attacks with superb and masterful precision. While his arms fended off simultaneous attacks from Gohan, Myra and Dore from the sides, the twin energy spheres he was controlling spun around him in a blur, striking Salza and Neiz, and keeping them occupied when they attempted to swarm him.

A grin remained plastered on the Namekian's face as he swatted aside punch after punch and kick after kick, before eventually retaliating with his own strikes. Chopping out at Salza's head when the Captain switched places with Gohan, the warlord saw the officer duck before spinning in and landing a swift spin-kick squarely in his torso- or so his attacker thought.

A loud sonic boom rang out from the Captain's blow when his foot struck Lord Slug's forearm, knocking the Namekian back even faster and out of his team's kill circle. The moment the man went flying, the squad split up and blitzed across the battlefield in multiple directions to confuse him.

Performing a recovery flip, Lord Slug slammed down on the ice with both his feet. Crushing the rock and punching a crater into the floor, the Namekian stylishly swung his arms about before locking them into one of his race's signature fighting forms- one that was reminiscent of the _Shao Lin's Tiger Fist_.

Claws formed, the grinning Namekian rotated one hand around and beckoned the five fighters towards him. "**COME**!"

Converging on their target once more at breakneck speeds, Dore and Neiz charged in low across the ground, while Gohan, Myra and Salza dove down from the sky from three sharp angles. Auras blazing, the group reached their target and attacked at once.

What followed immediately afterwards was a furious yet elegant display of martial arts prowess between six experienced warriors, as the massive, buffed up Lord Slug- moving across the ground with terrifying speed and dexterity- began deflecting and countering multiple foes from all sides, while the members of the Armoured Squadron assaulted him in groups of twos and threes. Tremors and shockwaves rang out as the team darted around the Namekian in a vortex of blurs and shimmers, moving in and out with repeated hit and run attacks as they attempted to break through the Namekian's defences.

Amidst the fury of the assault, Lord Slug unleashed his diverse arsenal of skills. This took the form of not only precise and powerful hand to hand techniques, but also magic spells and telekinetic pushes. When Dore and Gohan came at him from behind, the man wheeled around, extended his hand, and threw up a barrier. A loud crack of a sonic boom rang out when the pair's fists collided with the invisible barrier of energy, which absorbed their attacks and stopped them dead.

The moment they were stopped mid-air, the Namekian pivoted around and swung his massive right leg into the airborne pair, hitting Gohan across the body and catching both him and Dore in his swing. With a loud boom, he smashed both warriors tumbling across the valley. He was about to chase them with a blast to stack up the damage but was forced to block a diving kick from Neiz.

With his forearm holding back the electrified Zalt's foot, the warrior called back one of his plasma balls to catch Myra charging at him from behind. His sphere of energy caught the woman's fist and bounced it back, before it flew into her and forced her to block. When he tossed Neiz away from him with a violent shove, he then spun around to see Salza charging in at him from below. Expecting his telekinetic barrier to stop him, the Namekian grinned, only to have his smirk vanish when he saw his barrier shatter and the blonde Captain power through it with an energy blade, which he then attempted to stab him with.

Slipping to the side and dodging his lunge, Lord Slug struck at the man's back with a palm strike, pushing him away, before then blocking attacks from Gohan and Neiz coming at him from both his flanks. Dore immediately followed.

The frenzy that came afterwards followed this exact same pattern.

In the first few seconds, as the fighters tore up the ground with every charge, dash, lunge, and hit, Lord Slug managed to parry their assaults and keep the five warriors from landing anything clean or debilitating. The plasma bullets he'd produced circled his body aggressively, fending off and smacking away any attackers who tried to blindside him, while also creating a second obstacle for the group to overcome. And yet, despite their presence on the field, the group of five fighters continued to hammer him, coming in with so many attacks and flurries that the self-proclaimed tyrant had barely any time to breathe or think.

Keen to break them up, the now slightly annoyed Slug upped his countermeasures. After blocking a kick from Gohan and a punch from Dore simultaneously, the Namekian shoved them back with a quick blast of ki that knocked them skidding across the ground. The moment they were pushed away, the warlord spun around, opened his eyes, and launched a pair of bright, narrow beams from his pupils, which slammed into an approaching Salza.

Despite the speed and proximity they'd been launched, Salza managed to engage his energy blade on his right arm and receive the eye beams point-blank, which not only broke apart against his blade but also pushed him back across the valley. Slamming his feet into the floor after about a hundred yards, the Captain ground himself to a stop, all the while forcing back the two lasers now drilling into his forearm.

With the Captain preoccupied, Lord Slug sent his two orbiting plasma bullets flying at Gohan and Myra, both of whom either smacked away or leapt clear over the golden orbs to evade before charging towards their foe.

Just as the bullets started arcing back around to pursue them, Gohan and Myra were right on top of Lord Slug, opening with a swift barrage of simultaneous attacks that forced the warlord to stop his eye beams. Punches and kicks flew towards the Namekian, who quickly got pushed into the defensive. Swinging his arms around, the green warrior began deflecting and parrying their attacks as they rushed him from in front, leading to a furious trade-off between the three fighters.

Gohan struck wildly, leaping into the air with a series of furious punches and kicks that rained down on Lord Slug erratically from above, while Myra aimed towards the man's body with pressure-point hits and palm strikes.

Thanks to both warriors working fluidly with one another, they were able to wipe the smirk off of Lord Slug's face as their assault suddenly picked up speed. It was after he attempted several counter attacks when a particular barrage of blows suddenly snaked through. When Lord Slug blocked a kick to the head from Gohan, Myra smacked him across the face with a right chop, with the demi-Saiyan immediately following up with a left hook that smashed his face the other way.

More hits came in and- despite Lord Slug's best efforts to defend himself- the pair managed to rattle his head around several times. This inevitably led to the Namekian swinging around and cocking his left fist back. "WHY YOOUUU-GUARGH!" He was suddenly cut off by Neiz suddenly darting in from the side and nailing him with a flying side kick- an act that had Gohan, Myra and their third companion grinning broadly.

Upon being sent off his feet, Lord Slug quickly performed an aerial spin before landing hard on the ice. With his two plasma bullets finally returning to him, the warlord snatched them out of the air with his hands and slammed them together. In a blast of electricity, he fused them together and stretched the plasma into a extra-long shaft, with the ends of them transforming into the blades of a halberd. As soon as the lance-like weapon had formed in his grip, the Namekian swung it around him and took a stance, growling as he saw the five elite warriors come charging at him from multiple directions once more.

Auras exploding around them as they powered up mid-charge- Gohan's gold, Myra and Dore's green, Salza purple, and Neiz his lightning- the group all converged on Lord Slug at once. Dodging the opening swing of his massive halberd, the group began tagging him from every angle and side, with Salza activating his energy blades on both his arms and taking swipes at every opening he could see, only to have his attacks swatted away by the shaft of orange energy spinning around the Namekian's body.

Amidst the sparks, Gohan coated his arms in his golden gauntlets to block and strike at Lord Slug's weapon, a series of loud clangs ringing out as the green tyrant danced across the icy field and fended off all his foes. Myra also joined in the fray by generating a red staff of solid energy, which she began slamming into the Namekian's weapon whenever she dove in for an attack, only to be driven back by the heavy swings from the warrior.

Dore and Neiz meanwhile continued using close combat, mixing up their ranged comrade's assaults with determined attacks from up close that forced Lord Slug to block at impossibly tight intervals. As a result of the five of them sprinting circles around the giant of a man and attacking him with such murderous precision, the pressure started to mount.

Following a vicious exchange of staff blows with the armed Squadron members and the unarmed ones, Lord Slug spun his orange halberd around his body with a series of graceful spins and twirls between each hand, before then swinging the blade skyward and striking down at Gohan and Salza when they were directly in front of him. This forced them to split up to avoid the weapon crashing down on them and killing them, which instead ended up cutting the valley clean in half from the force of its impact.

As the ground shook and the Squadron separated, Gohan- having leapt back to a safe distance, threw both his arms overhead before through them forced. This caused the golden gauntlets around his arms to suddenly extend like whips and fly towards Lord Slug at light speed. In the blink of an eye, the two shafts of solid energy coiled around the warlord's shoulders, causing him to stagger forward before the Super Saiyan gave a hard tug and sling-shotted himself towards his target.

"ORAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Gohan screamed, his body flying towards Lord Slug and slamming into his chest with a full-power shoulder tackle. His impact, which carried the force and weight of a space locomotive, not only knocked the wind out of the Namekian's lungs, but also generated an explosion that sent the Namekian flying off his feet and towards the horizon trailing smoke.

The moment Lord Slug lifted off like he'd been shot out a cannon, Neiz- his lightning aura blasting around him- darted after the green warrior's body in a blur of movement and, in a flash, reappeared directly in his path. Bringing both hands overhead, the Zalt-seijin let out a mighty yell and slammed his fists down into the Namekian's hapless form, sending him towards the valley floor and burying him into the ground.

When an explosion of icy chunks and rocks gushed into the air from where Lord Slug ended up colliding, Dore dove down from the air with his fist alight with green flames. Letting out a roar of his own, the man slammed his knuckles into the ground the instant he reached it and generated a shockwave so devastating it sent a wave of rock, ice and earth rippling towards the spot Lord Slug had crashed. In a matter of milliseconds, the wave reached the Namekian's crater, throwing up both a wave of rubble and the stunned warlord's body, which spiralled into the air from the tsunami.

"GRAAAAAAGH!" Lord Slug bellowed, not expecting to get tossed about so violently amidst a wave of debris and an upheaval of wind.

The instant they saw the Namekian get flung back up into the sky like a ragdoll, Salza and Myra acted. Kneeling and taking aim, the Hera-seijin transformed her staff into a bow, pulled back on it, and launched an energy arrow at the Namekian, whereas her Captain gripped hold of his right arm, extended his fingers, and fired a purple blade of energy. Both projectiles bolted towards the airborne warlord and connected, slamming into his chest, exploding with concussive force, and sending him screaming into the distance.

With their target now shooting towards the horizon, the five warriors gave chase- dashing or flying across the countryside in pursuit of their missile of a target. Covering a distance of roughly fifty miles, the group arrived at the top of a flat-top mountain- an ice structure towering over the rest of the landscape. When they arrived at the edge, they saw Lord Slug spin through the air and land, slamming his feet and hand down to grind to a stop.

Once his momentum ceased, the battered and slightly singed warlord looked up and gritted his teeth angrily. "Tsk! Insects!"

Spacing out their positions, Gohan and his squad mates all assumed defensive stances as they squared off against their foe. With Salza and Myra standing front and centre, the pair of fighters quickly initiated their next attack- the Hera-seijin charging up the bow she'd formed so that it increased in size, drawing back on it, and then aiming it towards the sky.

"I'll hit him high, you hit him low, Captain!" Myra shouted as the red, glowing bolt she was drawing on increased in size and started sparking like crazy.

"Right," Salza answered, drawing back his right hand, producing a golden disk of energy above his palm, before then hocking it forward. With a shout of effort, his spinning blade loosed from his hand and arced across the flat of the mountain top, humming loudly on its approach.

At the exact same time, Myra released the arrow she had created and sent it soaring into the sky. In a flash it disappeared above the clouds. Then, following a bright glint, hundreds of red energy arrows began raining down from the heavens, which immediately converged directly on Lord Slug's position.

Upon gaping towards the sky, the Namekian then noticed the golden disc Salza had thrown suddenly flicker before splitting into multiple discs mid-flight, the entire cluster of which broke apart, spread out over the top of the mountain, and began tracking him. The Captain meanwhile guided them, using both his hands to send his energy projectiles towards their target.

Reacting quickly, Lord Slug dashed to the left in a blur, avoiding the barrage of discs and avoiding the arrows that began raining down on him from above. While the blades whizzed past and into the distance, the arrows embedded into the floor and started detonating one after the other. The Namekian spun as he ran, avoiding the blades and shafts that streaked too close to him, and for a moment it seemed like he was doing well. That was until the main body of the two attacks closed in on him and started slicing into his skin- creating multiple cuts and scratches that sent purple blood splattering across the ice.

When one of Myra's bolts landing ahead of Lord Slug cut off his retreat and detonated, filling his face with fire and debris, the tyrant had had enough. With a mighty roar and a spike of ki, the Namekian unleashed a shockwave from his entire body that tore outwards in every direction- deflecting the small discs and arrows dropping down from the sky. Sparks and explosions rang out as the wind ripped from his body and annihilated the energy barrages, clearing the air and carving a large, circular crater into the rock around him.

Once the shockwave dissipated and the cloud of frost thinned, it revealed Lord Slug kneeling in the centre off the fissure with his hands extended and an irate expression in play.

Catching his breath, it seemed as though he was the warlord was in the clear. That was until he suddenly noticed the floor at his feet crack and the rock split. Reacting instinctively, Lord Slug leapt backwards as hard and as fast as he could, a split second before the floor directly in front of him exploded and Dore came flying up at him with a surprise jumping uppercut from underground.

While Lord Slug had been distracted, the big, beefy fighter had used that chance to tunnel beneath the floor and try for a sneak attack. Unfortunately, the Namekian's senses were far sharper than the warrior had anticipated.

The two of them shot upwards with such force that they leapt clear off the ground and into the sky, with Dore shooting past Lord Slug, the wrestler threw himself into a recovery spin to slow his ascent. When he did, Myra- using quickness typical of her style- darted into Dore's path with an energy staff in hand and swung it forward like a bat. This allowed her teammate to land with his feet slamming against the shaft, the warriors aiming themselves down at their opponent before, with a mighty heave and a battle cry, Myra swung her staff and catapulted Dore down towards their target.

Having stopped mid-ascent, the Namekian saw the muscular, brawny member of the squadron dive towards him at supersonic speed- his fist drawn back and glowing for another powered up haymaker. However, instead of letting himself get caught off guard, Lord Slug saw an opportunity and capitalized on it.

Grinning smugly, the warlord swung his right arm forward and- drawing on his race's abilities- stretched it. His hand whipped forward at blinding speed, spun around the approaching Dore, and tied him up. The tyrant's limb constricted around the wrestler and stopped his charge dead, causing the man to blink in surprise as the Namekian yanked him forward and pulled him in.

"YOU'RE MINE!" Lord Slug barked, loading up his other hand and preparing to nail the hapless and trapped Dore as he reeled him down to him.

But then, just as Dore was coming into range, something unexpected happened.

Both the target and attacker's bodies blurred and flickered. Then, in the blink of an eye, the two of them suddenly switched places- Dore being freed from his opponent's rope of an arm and Lord Slug ending up trapped in the binds of his own limb.

"WHAT?!" Lord Slug exclaimed, realizing his own arm was suddenly wrapped around him. Looking over his shoulder and down, he saw the now freed Dore smirking back at him. "How the fuck-?" Before he could finish his alarmed question, the wrestler suddenly noticed a residual, magical aura perforating the air.

Eyes darting towards the ground a few hundred meters below, the Namekian hurriedly searched the landscape- before eventually spotting a tiny figure situated atop a distant plateau. Zooming in, he saw another of the three fox girls. Crouching down with her hands extended and crossed over, with her tail wagging behind her, Lord Slug's jaw dropped when he saw the blue, furry form of Kida smirking up at him- the kitsune having cast a teleportation spell that caused both Slug and Dore to switch places in an instant.

"_A short-range body switch technique? Those little rats can use magic?!"_ Lord Slug thought, unable to believe that there was a race on Cooler's Force that had these kinds of abilities. _"When did she…?"_ Once again, he was unable to finish his question.

Gaze widening, Lord Slug's attention snapped back towards the sky. There, diving towards him at an even greater velocity than Dore, the Namekian saw the glowing, golden form of Gohan blitzing towards him. "GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" The air trembling around him, the tiny, half-Saiyan child let out a bestial roar as he drew back his right fist and threw it into the stunned warlord's face.

The boy's knuckles collided with Lord Slug's cheek with a deafening thunderclap, caving in the side of his jaw before launching the entangled Namekian towards the flat mountain top below. A sonic boom rang out when the warrior was sent plummeting, a split second before his body collided with the mountain, ploughed through it, and into the crust beneath it.

A loud rumbling echoed across the sky as the entire planet shook right down to its mangled core- the force of Lord Slug's impact not only causing the mountain to cave in on itself, but the entire countryside to split right down the middle. An enormous chasm formed fifty miles over the stretch of icy ground in an instant as Lord Slug's hapless body powered through the planet over that entire distance. Seconds later, the Namekian's body came flying out the other side of the fissure, bouncing off the top of a miraculously still standing glacier before spiralling across the curvature of the war world.

Despite being knocked clear out of the park, Lord Slug still wasn't given any reprieve by his enemies. As soon as he cleared the planet's crust and re-emerged in the sky, Gohan, Salza and the others came in right behind him. Streaking across the sky in a scattered 'V' formation, the demi-Saiyan led the charge after the stricken Namekian and powered towards him. When the five glowing bolts of the Armoured Squadron homed in on the warlord, they surrounded him and began beating the crud out of him while he was still flying.

Moving in a blur around the bound and tangled up Lord Slug, the five warriors pounded him with a storm of punches, kicks, and slashes from energy blades. While Dore used good, old-fashion haymakers and jabs, Neiz electrified each of his blows with his lightning, Myra took to using a red simitar, and Gohan coated his fingers with golden brass knuckles, which he used to lay on the abuse. Salza on the other hand spared no effort in slicing into the hulking Namekian with his energy blades, cutting into his flesh and even carving multiple scratches across his face.

Over the sound of loud humming and crunching echoing all around as the five warriors beat up the spinning and continuously moving Namekian, Lord Slug's grunts and shouts of pain rang out in rapid fire. As blood sprayed through the air amidst the rain of unending blows, the trapped warrior then let out a growl of impatience as a slice from Myra carved across his cheek and over his eye.

"WRETCHED FLIES!" Lord Slug bellowed, a telekinetic shockwave ripping from his body and smashing into the five squadron members- sending them all flying off in random directions.

When Dore touched down on the ground, the topless warrior aimed his right arm up, gripped his wrist, and fired off a highly concentrated beam of golden energy up at Lord Slug. At the exact same time, Neiz- who'd been sent up into the sky- gathered an enormous amount of lightning around him, before unleashing it upon their target in a flash.

Despite the speed at which they were launched towards the now stationary, airborne warlord, they were to prove useless. Slamming into Lord Slug's invisible barrier, the attacks effectively dispelled as the Namekian wrested his left arm free of his own binds, gripped his extended right arm at the shoulder, and ripped his limb clean off. In a spray of blood and gore, the tyrant managed to rid himself of the uncooperative limb binding him, before winding back his stump of a shoulder and throwing it forward. "I WILL SLAUGHTER YOU AAAAAAAAAAALL!"

Then, in a display that was as bloody as his self-mutilation, an expulsion of blood from his stump heralded the regeneration of his missing limb. However, instead of having one arm pop out, from the cloud of blood that shot from his stump, over five dozen arms to a hundred suddenly tore out from his right shoulder, stretched, and shot towards the scattered Armoured Squadron members in a brash attempt to ensnare them.

Sending his attack out in all directions over a spread of several miles, Lord Slug's multitude of right arms and slicing hands fanned across the sky like a web, with several sets quickly pursuing the scattered elite and forcing them into a retreat. Dore, Neiz, and Gohan each bolted in random directions as the limbs locked on and gave pursuit- extending to impossible angles and distances, while simultaneously smashing through everything in their path. Salza and Myra meanwhile, as they retreated from the limbs snaking across the sky, sliced away at the arms that swung in close with their respective energy blades. The duo effectively made short work of the first wave, filleting them like fish, but ultimately had to speed up and change course several times when more arms grew back to replace the ones lost and pursued.

Gohan, having managed to evade the first strikes and smash his way out of a handful of them- obliterating a swath of said limbs with several charged ki shots- eventually had his ankle snagged by a lucky whip from one of the limbs and was stopped. Before he could take a shot at the one at his ankle, he suddenly felt someone grab his arm and looked to see his friend Kida floating beside him.

"Watch out!" the blue fox girl shouted before their bodies flickered and vanished together. Just in time too, because the instant they popped out of existence a cluster of hands slammed into the spot where they had been floating and mashed together into a wriggling mass.

Reappearing where Dore was after being snagged by several hands from all sides, both Gohan and Kida grabbed hold of the wrestler and teleported out of there quickly, with the trio reappearing a safe distance away atop a plateau. When the two men dropped to the floor with Kida hanging off of the demi-Saiyan's shoulder, all of them were able to look up and see the entire sky and area in front of them filled with Lord Slug's arms- all of which were whipping about the sky like some sort of mutated, spaghetti titan from a nightmare.

While the warlord continued to send his limbs after Salza and the others, Gohan looked across at the kitsune beside him. When he saw the girl drop to the floor and gasp in exhaustion, his expression immediately became concerned, "Are you okay?"

When Kida took in several deep gulps, she quickly looked back up at the squadron members. "I-I'm alright. *Cough-cough* But I… I still haven't gotten the hang of it yet."

Dore smiled gratefully down at the girl. "Heh. Riko wasn't kidding. It seems you and your friends have picked up some interesting skills over the past couple months."

Kida responded with a wry grin. "Yeah. I can teleport objects and people just by looking at them, Rei can use telekinesis… and Riko-chan can heal us. But… we're still nowhere near the level we want to be. I can only use my technique… ngh… over short distances and only a handful of times. Any more than five or six and I'll pass out."

Gohan, after looking her over and then glancing down at his hand, then smiled broadly and looked back up to where the battle was still raging. "Don't worry, Kida-chan. I've seen how you did it. I think I figured out the trick."

This comment not only had the young kitsune look at Gohan oddly, but also earned a surprised glance from Dore. "Uhh… come again, kid?"

"Later. Let's go!" the demi-Saiyan shouted, pouring up and taking off into the sky to support his teammates. Doing the same, the buff, green warrior also took flight and bolted after his squad mate, allowing Kida to catch her breath.

Just as the pair were re-joining the fray, Lord Slug was just in the process of unleashing another wave of his continuously regrowing limbs after Myra and the others. Understandably, the other squadron members weren't just about to sit back and let the mad tyrant force them into a corner or wrangle them up like cattle. So, they started fighting back against his freaky assault with a lot more gusto.

While the Hera-seijin took the high ground and began unleashing arrows into the incoming hands from the peak of a plateau and Neiz began frying them with blasts of lightning, Salza had grown fed up with flying in circles and decided to take action. Charging up the energy blade around his right arm, the blonde warrior extended its length and increased its size- to the point that it stretched over two to three hundred meters through the air. Its hum growing to a deafening drone as a result, the bright, purple sword filled the sky as the warrior dove towards the wave of incoming hands from a high angle and took a swing at its centre mass.

Due to the monofilament quality of his laser, the man was able to carve through the approaching arms like he was cutting through air. With only a couple of slices and reposts, the Captain of the elite managed to fillet dozens of arms in an instant, before eventually reaching Lord Slug himself and dropping down at him with a downward slash.

In a spray of blood, Salza cut the Namekian at the shoulder, slicing off all the arms from the stump they were growing from and causing the warlord's network of overstretched limbs to stop dead and drop from the sky.

Jumping back as purple blood gushed from his newly reopened wound, Lord Slug grinned as he then fell out of the sky and landed on the icy rock plain below. Seeing Salza pursue him with a vengeance, the Namekian decided on an appropriate counterattack and wound up his sliced off shoulder. Upon which he then thrust it towards the ground while simultaneously regenerating a bunch of tendrils from his stump, all of which tunnelled into the floor before busting out directly beneath Salza and seizing him mid-charge.

The mass of tentacles quickly entangled and ensnared the man, wrapping around his arms, legs and torso, locking him in place and preventing him from following up with his running slash.

"Quoi dans le-!?" Salza yelped, his sword arm getting snapped back by the tentacles that'd suddenly jumped in his path and caught him. Clenching his teeth, the man's gaze snapped back towards the Namekian, who he saw was just a few dozen yards ahead of him. "Hyper body mutation? You can that?"

"Hahaha! One of the many abilities I have accumulated over the decades!" Lord Slug exclaimed, smirking at the shocked look on the Captain's face as he then attempted to wrestle himself free. But unfortunately for him, as the tendrils binding his limbs and body began to constrict, he was unable to budge an inch. "I'll kill you first, pretty boy!"

He then drew back his free arm and prepared to nail the leader of the squadron with a blast, only to then use it to smack away a couple of red bolts that suddenly came shooting at him from the side. Looking across, he saw Myra land nearby with her bow drawn and her arm pulled back- the former of which she had aimed squarely at him.

"Eat this!" she bellowed, before launching another, highly concentrated arrow towards the Namekian.

Grunting in annoyance, Lord Slug waved his hand across, summoned three plasma orbs, and sent one of them flying towards her approaching projectile. When the orange sphere impacted the red bolt, it got impaled, stopped it, before detonating with a fiery blast. As the flames engulfed the area and blocked out Myra's view of her target, the other two plasma balls flew through the wall of fire and towards the Hera-seijin, who quickly crouched and sprang upwards to avoid them as they screamed past her position.

Smirking as his plasma balls homed in on the retreating Myra, the Namekian's grin dropped when he sensed someone coming from above and looked up, where he quickly spotted an airborne Neiz load up his right arm before pitching a pink lightning bolt down at him with a loud clap of thunder.

"HAVE IT!" the Zalt-seijin shouted, which prompted the warlord binding Salza to react.

Swinging his free left hand around, the warlord unleashed a blast of orange lightning of his own, which slammed into the warrior's incoming electric wave, tangled with it, and began a heavily charged tug-of-war match between the pair. Almost immediately the physically more powerful warrior slowly started pushing back Neiz's lightning stream, which caused the sky-locked warrior to gasp before pouring more electricity into his blast to push back the Namekian's approaching wave.

Growling as he forced back the incoming lightning bolt with his own stream, Lord Slug slowly tightened the tendrils he had wrapped around the trapped Salza and began increasing voltage into his blast. That was until a shadow in the corner of his eye caught his attention, which took the form of Dore darting towards him from behind with his left fist drawn back and a haymaker aimed at his skull.

"ORAAA!" the man roared, swinging in and attempting to clean Lord Slug's clock. It was a valiant and smart move, until Dore was suddenly stopped in _his_ tracks by a third arm unexpectedly popping out of the Namekian's well-toned back, catching him by the throat and holding him in place, causing his attack to be cut short. "GAAK! The… fuck…?!"

Having sprouted an extra-arm literally out of his blind spot, the Namekian- keeping his lightning stream going and his tentacles constricted- glanced over his shoulder and grinned up at the Beppa-seijin. "Close, but no dice, welp!" the warlord chuckled, his eyes glinting as he charged up an eye beam to launch at Dore, now gasping and struggling to wiggle himself out of the clutches of the newly sprouted limb.

Meanwhile, Myra, who was flying in circles outside of Lord Slug's gaze, trained her arrow on the Namekian while carefully avoiding his plasma bullets. As she attempted to aim while in continuous motion, the woman cursed when she saw the Namekian shift Dore's body around so that her friend was in the way. "Damn… I don't have a clean shot!" she growled, before speeding up and diving to avoid one of the plasma bullets coming from behind.

Lord Slug chuckled, "I applaud you fools for managing to last this long. But I'm putting an end to this right-huh?" Cutting himself off, the Namekian snapped his gaze the other way, back to where Salza was floating, where he saw the Captain suddenly curl up before shooting multiple arcing blades from his body in an instant. The act of doing so sliced up the tendrils binding him, freed him, and allowed him to rush forward with his sword- now shortened to about a meter's length- blazing brightly. Despite seeing his tentacles get cut to ribbons in a burst of energy, Lord Slug merely smirked before slamming his right foot into the ground. "I don't think so!"

The moment his boot buried into the ice, the ground in front of him unexpectedly melted before splashing upwards in a wall. Salza, being so close when this happened, could only gawk in shock before the wave of liquid ice and rock splashed over him and swept him upwards. A split second later the wave of molten ground hardened, transforming into a wall of ice that locked the Captain in place, and allowed Lord Slug to retract the tentacles he had in the ground.

"Shit!" Salza cursed, watching as the Namekian's tentacles protruding from his right side healed and regenerated.

Lightning starting to crackle around his right tendrils as he continued to hold back Dore, Neiz and Myra, the Namekian then let out a huff as he concentrated his energy into his right side and took aim towards the trapped Salza. At that exact same time, as Dore was still being throttled behind the warlord, a fourth arm suddenly sprouted from the Namekian's back, levelled its palm at the choking warrior's face, and began rapidly gathering ki for an energy ball to take off his head. The Beppa-seijin felt his jaw drop when he saw the orange sphere of plasma suddenly start gathering in front of his eyes, which prompted him to kick and struggle even harder.

"All of you are going to die here… and I'm going to watch it happen," Lord Slug chuckled, preparing to unleash his electrified tendrils whipping beside him upon the Captain frozen in the block of flash-frozen ice, with his head being the only part of his body still exposed.

As Lord Slug's lightning began to overwhelm Neiz's, it seemed like all was lost. That was until a golden flash from above alerted Lord Slug to approaching danger and caused him to look off to his right.

Shooting down from up high, the Namekian spotted Gohan tearing a path towards him from another blind spot, his right hand drawn back and ki rapidly gathering in his palm as he dove headfirst towards him. Realizing that the child was going to get to him before he could finish gathering energy to finish off the bound Dore, Lord Slug quickly redirected the tentacles he was holding up towards the sky and shot them towards the approaching child. The bands of thin flesh arced and twisted around one another as they extended towards their target at blinding speed, who looked as though he was gonna run right into them.

"I HAVE YOU, PEST!" Lord Slug barked with a grin, watching the lightning dance around his stretching tentacles as they opened outward to ensnare the youngster.

However, the moment they snapped down around the boy in a pincer-like fashion, something odd happened.

Upon seeing the multitude of newly regenerated limbs converge on him at once, Gohan's expression turned momentarily serious, a split second before his body suddenly popped out of existence. When the tentacles slammed together, they ended up catching nothing but air, causing the Namekian's grin to drop and his eyes to widen in disbelief.

"Huh?" he unintelligibly blurted out, a split second before something tiny and scolding slammed into the side of his face, caved in his cheek, and lifted him off the ground.

With a deafening clap and a monstrous boom, Gohan rammed the golden ball of energy he was charging in his right hand straight into his target's mug at point-blank range. Having teleported out of the path of the electrified tentacles, the child got right up into the warlord's side and hit him with everything he had. Letting out a scream of effort, the demi-Saiyan let loose the energy in his hand and engulfed the top of Lord Slug's head with a gargantuan beam of raw energy that gushed outwards like a geyser- not only sending the Namekian off his feet, but scorching him badly in the process.

Letting out a horrified scream of his own, Lord Slug was sent shooting off to the side, his extra arms simultaneously releasing Dore as Gohan sent his target into the distance amidst a stream of golden fire. After about several hundred meters of violent travel, the warlord eventually slammed into the ground, which exploded because of the blast making landfall and causing widespread, dramatic damage to the vicinity.

As the golden dome of energy formed on the horizon, Dore dropped to the floor on all fours and gasped for air, rubbing his throat in shock as Gohan also tapped down in front of him. Glancing up, the wrestler let out a relieved whimper. "Man… for a second there… I thought I was gonna be a head shorter," he wheezed.

While Gohan kept a glare fixed on the explosion in the distance, Myra came down and fired an arrow into the mass of ice binding Salza, shattering the wall of jagged crystal and freeing the Captain from his imprisonment. The moment he was liberated, he, the Hera, and Neiz re-joined Gohan and Dore on the spot where Lord Slug had been standing, and quickly looked out to where the wall of fire formed by Gohan's attack slowly dissipated.

Neiz, having witnessed the whole thing from above while he'd been trying to push back Lord Slug's electrical storm, looked across at their Super Saiyan teammate and blinked. "You just popped right up in front of him. How did you do that?" the lanky warrior asked.

In response, the hybrid smiled. "Kida showed me. I'll tell you later."

Dore, taking in deep breaths as he stood up, also glared into the distance, where the group saw orange bolts of lightning begin shooting up into the sky. "For crying out loud. This guy just isn't gonna give up, is he?"

Sensing their foe's energy spiking, Salza clenched his teeth and thrust his arm out. "Careful. He still has a lot of power left."

As the group formed together, with Kira watching them from a distance, at the epicentre of the lightning storm, Lord Slug was fuming. Bolts of orange lightning rushing up and down his body and shooting off in every direction, the tentacles protruding from his right shoulder quickly merged together to form into a new arm, while the two extra arms he had protruding from his left shoulder sunk back into their host and disappeared. Face and chest burnt on one side, the seething warlord and mage clenched his fists tightly as veins pulsed over him.

Panting and sneering, the man then growled through fang-like teeth before screaming at the top of his lungs. "DON'T UNDERESTIMATE MEEEEEEEEEEE!" he bellowed, swinging his arms overhead before then unleashing all the energy he'd been building up into one massive blast.

In a blinding flash of orange light, Lord Slug thrust his arms downwards and allowed a Cosmic Super Storm to gush forth from his body in every direction possible. With the Namekian at its centre, a dome of highly concentrated, highly charged lightning ripped from his body and expanded across the countryside at an alarming speed, the subsequent shockwave tearing up the surrounding land and levelling everything in its path.

As rubble, debris and frost was sent hurtling every which way, an explosion several thousand times more powerful than a thermonuclear blast began rolling across the planet and roaring towards the grounded members of _Cooler's Armoured Squadron_.

Seeing the dome-shaped lightning explosion thundering towards them, Salza and the others felt their jaws drop in horror, a split second before its most able members acted. While Myra jumped ahead and erected a Spartan-like red shield in front of her and Dore, Neiz also leapt forward with his lightning imbued hands and Gohan jumped in front of Salza, stretched out his arms, and generated a dome-shaped barrier around him and his friends.

"HOLD OOOOON!" Myra shouted, moments before the tidal wave of lightning from the dome smashed into them and began tearing up everything around the group's shields, as if a hurricane had just made landfall.

The noise generated by the blast waves was deafening. The howling winds battered the heroes to the point their feet dug trenches into solid rock. And the roar of the storm rolling over the group was so violent that every single mountain, plateau, and ridge left standing around them was ripped asunder and sent bouncing across the landscape as if they were nothing but cardboard cut-outs on the wind. Due to the amount of force being unloaded by the Namekian, all five warriors felt their bodies get pushed back across the ground as their foundations disintegrated around them.

Kida, meanwhile, who had been watching the entire thing from afar, was forced to jump off her mountain ledge, drop behind the tor and hide in a hole. It was a good thing she did too, because the second she went underground, the entire precipice she'd been standing on was smashed to pieces and sent scattering across the burning countryside in the form of dust by the storm.

The _Cosmic Super Storm_ stretched across the entire face of the planet the Armoured Squadron had been fighting on. Any allied forces and troops stationed nearby had already been evacuated by drop ships and saucers sent to collect them, so the fear of anyone getting caught in the crossfire of the final battle was effectively mitigated. The only people who were forced to hunker down as the result of the dome of lightning stretching over the northern hemisphere of the world were Cooler, Zangya, Lucoa and Riko- all of whom were in range of the blast and forced to cover behind protective barriers thrown up by the former.

The prince, having been healed by Riko a couple minutes earlier, was able to protect his three companions against the nuclear shockwaves that roared over them, and would've undoubtedly killed them all had he not been prepared to receive the tsunami.

By the time the catastrophic explosion ended and the lightning storm lifted, on top of being warped into an ovular shape and missing an entire chunk from its eastern hemisphere, the ice planet had also been blackened on one of its quadrants.

The fact that the planet was still holding together after all the punishment it'd taken was a miracle.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Back over on the war world's Western Plains where the invasion had taken place, the citadel of Lord Slug had remained practically untouched. Sitting just close enough to the action to see the explosions but far enough away to avoid being damaged by the resulting shockwaves, the metallic, saucer-shaped dome of a building continued to stand proud above a wasteland that was pretty much desolate and lifeless.

The only living creatures in the area- Kuriza and the members of the Ginyu Force, who were still magically bound and trapped on the roof of the black fortress that was the Namekian's base of operations.

Drumming his fingers against his arm rest, the diminutive, First Form Frieza look-a-like with the nut-shaped cranium murmured uneasily as he saw the flashes of the lightning shaped explosion in the horizon fade away. At the same time, he and the members of his father's elite hit squad kept a close eye on the live feed of the battle between their captor and his opponents continue to play out before them on the hologram screen in front of them.

Though the picture was a bit grainy and jumpy due to the signal cutting out from the amount of energy and radiation being exerted by all the fighters involved, they were still able to keep up with everything that was going on. And, needless to say, it was pretty fantastic.

"Damn…" Burter breathed out, his arms still sticking out to his sides in a crucifix position while still resting on his knees, just like the rest of his teammates.

"That guy just scorched everything around him in an instant. He didn't even hold back," Recoome followed up, shaping his head in disbelief. "Not even all of us working together could've cleared a field like that…"

Guldo, swallowing nervously, glanced across at the rest of his friends. "Do you… think Salza and his team… will be alright?"

"Fuck if I know," Jeice responded, his face dripping with sweat, which seemed to bite at the burns he'd suffered at the hands of their opponent. "They've been fighting non-stop, back-to-back opponents since they arrived on this planet trying to save the young prince."

"Yeah. And what've the five of us been doing this entire time?" Burter asked, glancing over at his compatriots with a displeased frown. "We've just been sitting here, holding in our piss, and trying not to say anything to annoy the big, bad, boss man. Honestly, just thinking about it is making me super depressed."

"Agreed," Recoome sighed, his eyes casting downwards in disappointment and grief. "Damn… if only we'd worked out some more. Hit the gym a few more times. Maybe then we could've made a difference…"

"Chin up, fellas," Ginyu spoke, drawing the attention of his squad mates and Lord Kuriza, all of whom fixed the purple, horned warrior with looks of intent. "Now isn't the time to dwell on our failures. Instead… let's take this as a learning experience. A lesson for the future."

Jeice blinked. "What do you mean, Captain?"

Sucking in air, the charismatic leader of the Force glanced up with a far-away look and expressed his thoughts for all his friends to hear. "Failure. The greatest lesson and teacher in the history of civilization. What we learn and experience today- the pain, the suffering, the embarrassment- we will use to grow and make ourselves stronger tomorrow… and the day after. We must shoulder the burdens of our mistakes so that the next time we find ourselves pressed into a situation like this, we will be able to overcome these obstacles and achieve victory." He then looked from left to right, eyeing his teammates carefully and giving them his most serious glare, he could muster. "I do not know if we will all make it out of this alive. But if we do, I want the four of you to remember this moment… and use it to empower you, to encourage you to develop your skills… and to become even better men than you are today."

Ginyu's speech, while cheesy and spoken in his very gruff tone of voice, helped to bring tears to the eyes of his squad mates, all of whom had to hold back sniffles as their second in command practically wept with sadness and joy.

"Y-Your words… are bloody inspiring as always, sir," Jeice exclaimed, shaking his head, and flicking his bangs of white hair out of his face. "You… *sniff*… truly are… a man amongst men."

Closing his eyes, the horned warrior nodded his head in acceptance. "Thank you, Jeice. I am… humbled by your kindness."

Burter, blinking away his own emotions, put on a stiff upper lip before speaking out with a slightly croaky voice. "So… uhh… since we're still alive and kicking… how the heck do we get out of this mess?"

"I can help."

Eyes widening all around, the five Ginyu Force members plus Kuriza looked ahead of them to suddenly see a white, anthropomorphic fox girl in purple spandex, white gloves and boots suddenly drop down from the sky and walk through the hologram in front of them. When she stopped before the group and looked between the prisoners, she revealed herself to be none other than the third and tallest of the kitsune trio- Rei.

White tail wagging behind her, the pale-furred fox put on a smile as she then strolled over to Kuriza and stopped before the child, who looked up at the vixen in surprise.

"W-Who are you?" Kuriza asked, as he saw the furry humanoid inspect his throne.

"I'm Gohan-kun's friend," Rei answered, looking back at the boy, and seeing the royal's confusion flash across his gaze. "Uhh… I'm… the Saiyan boy's companion. The one fighting with Cooler-sama's squad. I work for him."

Ginyu blinked across at the fox child. "You're on the Cooler Force?"

"Yes. I came here to rescue the little prince," Rei replied quickly, raising her hand, and holding it over the prince's shoulder. As she slowly moved it across just a few inches from the boy's carapace plate, her expression quickly became one of seriousness and concentration. "Hmm… the six of you are being held in place by a powerful restraining field. Something like this will be incredibly hard to break."

Jeice, blinking a couple of times as he observed the girl work, frowned. "Can you do it?"

"Of course. Just… hold still," Rei answered, ignoring the glares from the Ginyu Force members watching her for her little joke, before stepping back and proceeding to concentrate mana into her palm. As blue flames slowly began wafting off her hand, the girl then turned her attention to Guldo and the others. "It's an extraordinarily strong telekinetic field. I'll have to do this one at a time, so please be patient."

Feeling a warm glow fall over him, the seated Kuriza gulped as he looked up at the tall girl that was around his age. "W-Will your Saiyan friend be able to stop that monster? Can he defeat Lord Slug?"

Rei, glancing back at the alien boy in surprise, quickly but on a cool grin and nodded. "Of course," she replied without an ounce of hesitation. "After all, he is the one who saved me and my friends when my planet was attacked by pirates. If anyone can put an end to this enemy's leader, I know Gohan-kun will."

Ginyu, looking the girl up and down as she proceeded to prod and pick at the invisible barrier surrounding the young prince with her magical aura, had a thoughtful glint pass through his eyes. "This Saiyan child… who exactly is he?"

Quickly glancing over at the elite team's leader, the fox girl smiled. "All you need to know is that he is a very kind, good, and strong person… someone who will give his all and won't rest until his job is completed and all his friends are safe and sound."

This caused the Captain to blink, "I see…"

From there, the white kitsune got straight to work, pouring her magic into the invisible binds holding the prince and the Ginyu Force members hostage…

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Back at the battlefield)

Several minutes following Lord Slug's lightning eruption, the members of _Cooler's Armoured Squadron_ quickly found themselves thrown into a rather perilous situation. Not only did they have to contend with an enemy who was fully enraged and oozing with copious amounts of bloodlust, but one that was also boasting a newly mutated and transformed body.

Unlike his previous form, which he had altered with multiple, unorthodox appendages that stretched ridiculously long distances and allowed the Namekian to stop them from multiple directions at once, the warlord had undergone a new mutated where instead of increasing his range, he had shortened it, while simultaneously boosting his defences.

The result was the enlarged Namekian's enormous body buffing up and becoming covered in hardened, bony carapace plates, which not only formed in places that protected his vital areas, but also on limbs with which he could attack. By coasting his knuckles, shins and fists in the same green shell pieces as he did his shoulders, back and torso, his punches, kicks and knee strikes had a great deal more bite to them, which for the five elite members of Cooler's army was a very bad thing.

The instant they saw Lord Slug stomp out of the burning crater he'd formed following his landscape reducing outburst, the group quickly went on the offensive. They'd charged in and swarmed the Namekian, who in turn rushed at them and began duking the group out in close quarters.

Though the squad did their best to play to their strengths and kept their distances, fighting the infuriated warlord had now become a heated battle of endurance. It was all a matter of whose stamina would run out first.

After watching her friend Dore get punted across the valley to crash through an ash-covered hillside a mile away, Myra let out a loud battle cry as she practically sprang across the battlefield with her massive bow _Manaa_ flying right beside her. With it, as she flew towards the hulking Lord Slug, she launched a cluster of red bolts towards him, watching the green warlord smack them away with his forearms and hands, with only a couple of the projectiles managing to land embed themselves into his shoulder.

"Grrrr…" The moment he got knocked staggering back by the two large bolts lodged in his shoulder plate, the Namekian conjured up to golden plasma balls behind him, which lengthened into a pair of spears before flying towards the incoming Hera-seijin.

Dodging them, the woman slammed her feet into the side of her massive energy bow and, using it like a sail board, flew straight towards her target and crashed it straight into him. Despite the incredible force of which she slammed the head of her weapon into the tyrant, which managed to pick him up and send him skidding along the ground for several yards as she drove it into him, the thirteen foot tall Lord Slug managed to catch it with his hands and stop it from crushing him.

Growling as Myra pushed the bow into him with all the strength she could muster from her legs, the Namekian managed to halt his backward momentum and slowly force the arc of pulsing red energy in the opposite direction. As he did so however, Salza came charging at him from behind with his arm coated in purple energy and, with a scream of effort, slammed into his back and drove his arm through his spine.

"GRAAAAAAAGH!" Screaming as the elite Captain's sword impaled him and came out his chest, Lord Slug snapped his eyes behind him before unleashing a telekinetic blast from his body. The sonic boom that occurred smacked Salza away from him and sent the leader of the squadron bouncing across the countryside, allowing Lord Slug to concentrate all his efforts in pushing Myra's bow back.

Eventually, with a loud grunt of anger, he managed to shove the red bow away from him and fired a concentrated mouth blast up at the Hera-seijin surfing on it. When the orange blast gushed out of his mouth with a howl of wind, the woman managed to use her legs to swing her giant bow in front of her body and catch the beam. The moment it collided with her weapon, it pushed her straight up into the sky and away from her target, with Myra doing everything she could to try and hold off the blast.

As energy was spilling from his mouth, Lord Slug suddenly felt a pair of long arms snap around his neck and tighten sharply- not only yanking his head back, but also cutting off the power to his mouth blast. "What?!" letting out a strangled shout as a result, the warlord then glanced over his shoulder, where he saw the slightly battered form of Neiz riding his back and choking him from behind.

"FRY, MOTHERFUCKER!" the Zalt-seijin shouted.

The moment the Namekian reached up to try and grab him, the tallest member of the elite squad unleashed all the lightning stored in his body in one go- a field of purple electricity exploding from him and engulfing them both. The rolling thunderclaps that occurred deafened the area as streams of energy gushed out in all directions, not only frying to spot where the massive Namekian was standing but carving up the ground in areas a hundred meters from them as well. A howl of pain ripped from Lord Slug's throat as he was hit square-on by an attack he'd used on countless other warriors before him, his body seizing up as torrents upon torrents of electricity rushed through his muscles and began to incinerate him from the inside-out.

Crying out as he writhed beneath the lightning storm Neiz was pouring into his body, the Namekian attempted to fight it off. However, as the Zalt-seijin continued to hit him with everything he had, Gohan came bolting in from the side and smashed a haymaker across the giant Namekian's face.

With a sickening crunch, he managed to knock the electrified warlord's face to the side, drawing blood, and sending him stumbling. Upon which, the demi-Saiyan then set upon Lord Slug with a vengeance, his fists coated protectively with golden gauntlets of energy, which he then used to beat the ever-living shit out of the miraculously standing giant of an opponent. Sonic booms and cannon fire rang out as Gohan laid into Lord Slug's stricken and paralysed body with a storm of blows, hitting him across the head and torso over and over with charged-up punches. All the while Neiz continued to electrocute the fucker, lightning and sparks shooting off the Namekian like some kind of freaky, mobile Tesla coil.

As Gohan continued to wail on the warlord, Dore managed to fly back into the scene and dove right into it. With his knuckles also glowing with green, protective energy, the wrestler joined his younger and smaller cohort in beating up the Namekian as he was electrocuted. The pair worked in tandem, coupling their hooks and haymakers with each other as they struck every vital point they could on the giant's body. When his carapace plating began to crack and fracture under the violent storm of blows, they knew they were getting somewhere.

Unfortunately, Lord Slug wasn't willing to just stand there and suffer this abuse. After several more punches to the gut that left him reeling, the self-proclaimed tyrant let out a mighty bellow, lifted his foot, and kicked Gohan square in the chest, sending the Super Saiyan blasting towards the horizon and smashing through the terrain. Upon which he then caught one of Dore's punches, pulled the wrestler in and smashed him across the face with a hook that knocked the man into the ground a few yards away- burying him in a shower of rubble.

"GET OFF!" Lord Slug shouted, reaching up, grabbing Neiz by the head, and throwing him off of his shoulders- sending the man hurtling into another ridge that caved in under the impact of his body.

Before the Namekian could set upon any of the Squadron members he'd just dispersed, Myra suddenly came diving down from behind. Riding her giant energy bow like a surfboard, she flew right into the back of Lord Slug's legs, caught him by his heels, and knocked him off his feet while she blew past. The result was the warlord being lifted into the air before dropping onto his back with a loud crack.

As the floor caved in under his weight, the Namekian barely had time to blink when Salza suddenly came diving down at him from above- his sword arm drawn, and blade extended to an incredible length. Taking aim, the blonde Captain gave a mighty yell as he thrust down at Lord Slug, only to watch the armoured warrior roll out of the way and leap to his feet. This caused Salza to miss and run his blade into the ground instead.

The second his energy blade impaled the rock, Lord Slug thrust a hand out and hit the determined Captain with an orange burst of light, which slammed into Salza, engulfed him, and sent him screaming into the distance- while simultaneously scorching him. As the Namekian was about to give the stream of electricity another burst to finish him, the equivalent of a charging locomotive suddenly slammed into his side when Myra's giant bow flew in and collided with the big brute.

A loud sonic boom rang out as the bow picked the warlord up and carried him across the battlefield, before eventually slamming into the floor a mile away and detonating with the force of a nuclear warhead. A blinding flash, a sonic boom, followed by a red dome of energy engulfed a significant portion of the countryside, as yet another fallout was inflicted upon the battered planet.

Myra, having thrown her weapon from an airborne position, kept her hand extended as she watched her strongest construct level the area. But just when she thought she may have done some significant damage to her foe, the Hera-seijin's eyes widened when she saw two orange beams shoot out from the fiery dome and fly right at her, forcing her to produce an impromptu Spartan shield on her extended hand a split second before the eye beams impacted it.

A loud bang rang out as the beams exploded and her shield shattered, causing the woman to let out a scream as she was shot out of the sky and sent to the ground, where she collided with a loud thud.

As the scorched Super Hera pushed her hands into the ground and forced herself back up, the woman's eyes widened when she saw the black cloud formed from her exploding bow in the distance part, a split second before Lord Slug crashed right into her with his massive hand.

Grabbing the woman by the face, the scalded Namekian dragged the female along the floor for several dozen yards, tearing a trench through the scorched rock before eventually stopping a few seconds later. His steaming head pulsing with veins of pure rage, Lord Slug grabbed Myra by the neck with both his hands and proceeded to strangle her, a second before Gohan suddenly landed on his shoulders, wrapped both his arms around his neck, and began crushing his windpipe for all he was worth.

"RAAAAAAGH! LET… GO… OF… HEEERRRR!" Gohan practically screamed, his golden aura exploding around his tiny body as he slammed both his feet into the Namekian's girthy back and pulled on him hard.

Eyes bugging out as he felt his airway get blocked, Lord Slug was only able to let out a few strangled noises as his grip around Myra's neck quickly loosened. This allowed the woman to gulp in whatever air she could, before she drew back her left hand, formed a long, red spear of energy, and drove it into the Namekian's gut from below.

The moment her lance buried into the Broly-sized warrior's flank, Lord Slug choked out a cry of pain. Unable to take it anymore as he was being impaled and strangled from two different enemies, the man then removed his right hand from Myra's neck, threw back his head to hit Gohan in the nose, before then elbowing the boy in the side. This caused the demi-Saiyan to relinquish his grip, before the warlord swung around, grabbed him by the neck with his hand, and began choking the Super Saiyan as well.

As soon as he had the boy in his grasp, Dore then leapt into the fray. Landing on the Namekian's left shoulder, he wrapped both his arms around his head- effectively taking Gohan's place- and started trying to choke the warlord out as well. This left all four warriors in a very precarious position, in which each of them was either fighting to get out of their opponent's grasp and choke the other person out.

Growling angrily, the Namekian with the armour plating around his face, torso and limbs then growled out to the three elite warriors he was wrestling with. "Why… _**Why can't I absorb your energy**_?!" Lord Slug growled, veins pulsing on all his muscles as he struggled to choke Gohan, choke Myra, resist the bolts of pain from her spear in his gut, and force Dore off his shoulder. "I learned this magic… from the tomes of _**Planet-Eater Moro's**_ ancient home world! The monster that forced even the Gods themselves into a corner! There isn't… a single life-form in the universe… that should be able to resist it! So how?! HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO RESIST MY MAGIC?!"

Myra, growling as she plunged her spear further into the Namekian's stomach and out the other side, joining the first hole made by her Captain's sword through his back, choked out in anger. "What… the hell… are you talking about…?!"

Snarling in frustration while Dore yanked back on his neck even harder, Lord Slug gave a grunt of rage. "Not only insolent… but naïve and ignorant too." He then switched his attention to Gohan, who he saw was clawing and kicking away at his forearm in an effort to loosen his grip. The Namekian narrowed his eyes on the child and huffed. "What secrets are you hiding! Show them to me! **NOW**!"

He then activated his telepathic ability and dove into Gohan's memories, causing the boy's eyes to widen when he felt Lord Slug's influence begin tunnelling through his head. Almost immediately the Namekian was given flashes of the boy's past, revealing to him not only all of the battles he'd fought and worlds he'd visited with the Armoured Squadron, but also his battle on CP-179.

In the images that followed, Lord Slug's eyes widened when he saw the young Super Saiyan and his team face off against Turles, his near death experience, his rescue at the hands of Kida and her friends, and the reason why his team had been sent to that world in the first place. He saw the enormous Tree of Might jutting into the sky, the fruit it bore, and felt the power it possessed.

This immediately gave the Namekian his answer.

Shaking his head, Lord Slug let out a growl as he glared back down at Myra, "So… you ate from the _Sacred Tree of the Kais_!? The legendary divine tree! The forbidden fruit… consumed only by the Kais themselves!" the Namekian growled, saliva dribbling down from his lips as he tightened his grip around Myra's neck, only to have the woman drive her spear in deeper. "AAAGH! The fruit of the sentient tree… is resistant to magic! By eating it… you and your friends… inherited that exact same trait! All of you… are cursed!" He then grinned and leaned in further, attempting to force Dore to release him. "No matter… even if I can't steal your life energy… I can still kill you with my own hands! Starting with YOU!" he barked down at Myra, his fingers tightening around her throat and causing her to gasp in pain.

Sensing Myra was in danger, Gohan, struggling in Lord Slug's grip, felt his eyes widen before a fierce, burning rage swept through him. Hearing his friend's choked cries and feeling her pain, the demi-Saiyan began to growl and pant heavily in the Namekian's grip. His knuckles whitening and fangs sharpening, the child felt a great heat begin to radiate from every pore in his body, seconds before he snapped.

"_**HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"**_

Letting out a cry of rage, the boy's body became engulfed in a pulsing red glow that gushed out of his skin. Along with the red flames, his golden aura also ignited, his energy taking on a crimson hue as he grabbed Lord Slug's wrist, yanked himself forward, and delivered a savage kick to Lord Slug's jaw the moment he was in reach. The blow landed with a sickening crunch that not only dislocated the warlord's jaw, but also knocked him off of Myra and out of Dore's grip- releasing all of them from the vice of death.

"What?!" The moment Lord Slug's massive form slammed into the ice, Gohan dove down and dropped right on top of the Namekian- burying both his feet into his chest cavity. Caving in his ribs and causing all the wind in the tyrant's lungs to get the fuck out of their host, the boy let out a scream and began hammering his fists into the man's face over and over again in a furious blur of movement.

The act of pounding Lord Slug's face into the floor formed a massive crater beneath them, which became wider and wider with each devastating impact of the boy's knuckles. The winds also generated from Gohan's rage-filled barrage sent Dore and Myra tumbling away, with both eventually stopping themselves to watch as their glowing, golden boy continued to bury his foe into the ground.

Even Neiz and Salza, both of whom were just picking themselves up following their own hard landings minutes earlier, watched with slightly slack jaws as their star pupil laid into Lord Slug.

After a full minute of doing this, Gohan then sprang off the warlord's chest, grabbed him by his massive leg, picked him up, and began to spin him. Yelling as he rotated his much larger opponent round him several times, the Super Saiyan then let out one final scream as he threw Lord Slug into the distance, sending him crashing through an entire hill before he exploded out the other end.

Bouncing a couple of times from ridge to hill, Lord Slug eventually slammed both feet into the ground and skidded to a stop. Purple blood gushing from his mouth and stab wounds, the Namekian roared as orange lightning bolted around him and his energy skyrocketed.

"RAAAAGH! WHY… WON'T… YOU… DIIIIIIIEEEE!" the warlord bellowed, his eyes and mouth igniting a flaming orange as he gathered all his energy into his orifices and took aim at the child and his friends half a mile away.

Gohan, aura still burning around him, pulled back his head, inhaled sharply, and filled his chest with ki. After which, he then took a step forward, opened his mouth, and unleashed a golden geyser of a blast that tore across the land and rocketed towards Lord Slug. His _Blitz Cannon_ deafened the area with a loud roar as it thundered towards the Namekian, who in turn countered with his own attack.

Bellowing loudly, the Namekian opened his mouth as well, before launching both a mouth blast and a pair of eye beams simultaneously. The attacks fused as they tore through the air and roared towards the oncoming wall of energy, before the orange and golden attacks collided and began pushing against one another with such force that the ground between the two opponents split.

Chasm forming as the entire continent splintered and shook violently from the clash, the energy pouring from Lord Slug's face-laser increased drastically as the Namekian doubled his output and sent even more ki roaring down his beam. The column of energy swelled and powered forward, pushing against Gohan's blast, splitting it, and slowly forcing its way towards its young user.

Gohan, feeling his body get shunted back against the strength of his opponent's beam, roared as he increased his own technique's intensity in an effort to hold it off. But little by little, even after adding more energy into his attack, the warlord's own beam gradually began to overwhelm his.

That was until his teammates decided to step in.

Noticing their squad mate was in trouble, Myra, Salza, Dore and Neiz sprang forward. Landing on either side of the boy and closing ranks around him, the injured elite rapidly gathered their energy, engulfed themselves in their auras, and locked stances. Upon drawing back their hands and charging their attacks, they took aim at Lord Slug's blast tearing its way towards them. Then, after concentrating all the ki they could, unleashed their power at once.

With a mighty heave, every single member of the squad thrust their hands forward- with Dore and Neiz throwing both their hands, and Salza and Myra their one. The second they did, blasts of red, gold, and purple left their hands respectively, filling the air with a terrifying howl as their beams converged on Lord Slug's and slammed into it with enough power to wipe out several planets at once.

Sparks flew and the air trembled, as the group's beams joined Gohan's blast and began pushing the Namekian's attack back. A tremendous gale kicked up as a result of the clash, sending rubble and debris hurtling across the sky, and slowly beginning to separate the damaged plates of the mobile planet's surface.

For several tense seconds both the warlord and his enemies continued their intense tug-of-war match, with neither side showing any indications of backing down. But eventually, after the Namekian attempted one last time to force his adversary's unified attack back, the five members of the elite then gave their attacks one last kick and, with a cry of effort, all of them sent an enormous surge of energy rushing down their five separate beams. When it reached the point where they met Lord Slug's attack, their blasts all fused into one and, in a mighty show of force, tore down the Namekian's attack and crashed headlong into the green tyrant.

With a scream of horror, Lord Slug was picked up by the wall of energy when it slammed into him before sending him soaring over the curvature of the planet. After traveling a hundred miles he eventually came in contact with the ground, and shortly upon impacting it an explosion followed. What followed during that cataclysmic collision was like the sun itself rising over the hills, a massive, golden flash filling the entire horizon as a fireball spanning the size of a mountain picked up a large plate of the ice planet and sent it blasting out of the atmosphere in a cloud of debris.

The shockwave was also quite outstanding, not only covering the entire planet and shaking it right down to its barely stable foundations, but also pushing the Seventh Fleet slightly off course of its original orbit of the satellite. All the ships, which had moved further away from the ice planet and the battles taking place on it, had to sound emergency alarms as the blasts from the elite's exploding attack practically rocked all of them, forcing Kikono and Berryblue to order the crew to correct their course.

When the light and the tremors eventually faded, all that remained of the explosion was a massive black cloud hanging in the distance. The magnitude of the attack caused the weather in that region to change drastically, as the fumes from the exploding blasts caused a thunderstorm to begin sweeping over the enormous crater formed from the technique's impact.

Gohan and the others meanwhile, were spent. After holding their stances with their hands extended for a full minute, the group- with the exception of their youngest member- collapsed to their hands and knees.

Both his arms dropping, Dore fell forward onto his hands and gasped in shock. "Great Kai… that… *gasp*… took everything out of me…"

"Y-You said it…" Neiz also stuttered, purple sparks of electricity leaving him as he dropped to one knee and took in deep, heaving breaths of air. "Ah, man… that sucked…"

With Myra also doubled over and unable to speak on account of her breathing so heavily, Salza- who was using a rock to try and prop himself up- looked up through a slightly lidded gaze and double-vision. Observing the black mushroom cloud spreading across the sky on the horizon, the man swallowed nervously before smiling victoriously.

"On the bright side… it's finally over…"

And on that the senior members of the team most certainly agreed, all of them smiling weakly at one another and sighing in relief.

However, as the four older soldiers of the elite were in the process of catching their breaths, Gohan- still on his feet and still in his Super Saiyan form- then felt his hair bristle. Immediately after which his face twisted into a more furious one and a growl left his throat, alerting his companions and causing them all to wake up.

Upon seeing the child drop to his hands and take his feral fighting stance, Myra and Dore hurriedly stood up.

"What is it, little buddy?!" the latter asked.

His question was answered moments later, when all of a sudden, the ground before them erupted in a geyser of burnt rock and earth, which blasted into the sky in a wall. The plateau the group was standing on shifted from the tremors that washed over it, with the five warriors looking on in shock as a massive green hand as large as an ocean liner unexpectedly reached out off the exploding ground and slammed into the floor on the other side of the chasm that'd formed.

From there a second hand reached up and grabbed the other side of the gorge, dust and smoke rushing out of it and blocking out the sky. Then, with the fingers gripping tight, a shadowy, gargantuan form was hoisted out of the hole, through the clouds, and out of the planet's depths. At first Gohan and the others had to shield their faces from the blast of debris that hit them from the speed at which the giant rose. But then, as the violent winds quieted down and the group was finally able to peer through the dust that hung in the air, their jaws almost hit the floor when their eyes took in the astonishing spectacle that now stood before them.

His body quite literally eclipsing the sky behind him and head poking through the clouds like the peak of a great mountain, the still very alive and very intact Lord Slug had returned to the battlefield for one final bout with the _Armoured Squadron_. But instead of facing the five elites in a form much closer to their level, the war monger had opted to take a different route and assumed his race's most terrifying and intimidating transformation- one with an added wrinkle to it.

Unlike the conventional _**Great Namekian**_ form that he'd used to buff himself up in the first half of the fight, Slug had drawn on every last drop of his reserves to boost his size to the point that his body quite literally towered over the entire countryside. From where Gohan and the others stood at the edge of the enormous chasm that'd formed in the planet's crust, the warlord wasn't just as big as a building, a plateau, or even the Oozaru form the demi-Saiyan had assumed during his fight with Lucoa.

By their estimate, the guy had made himself as big as an actual mountain… perhaps even a small moon. It was a fact that was made even more palpable when the crew of the Seventh Fleet on board Cooler's flag ship could literally see Lord Slug standing on the planet below through the vessel's windows, almost like he was part of the planet itself.

The lithosphere barely holding up underneath the warlord's sheer weight, the entire planet trembled as the proudly standing tyrant, looming over them in his _**Titan Namekian**_ form, let out a booming snarl as he drew back his right hand, formed it into a fist, and took aim at the group of warriors below. His eyes- once white with black pupils- shone with a menacing, golden hue, like two stars high in the sky.

"_**I grow weary of you, you insolent pests!"**_ the Namekian's voice boomed across the entire planet, the ground trembling beneath the sound waves as orange lightning began to bolt and course around him once more. Thunderclaps ringing out as his energy spiked once again, the titan warlord then growled as he swung his body forward and threw his skyscraper sized fist down at the group. _**"DIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE!"**_

A roar of wind echoed across the plains as his fist swung down through the clouds and towards the five warriors, all of whom gaped for a moment before they realized they were about to get flattened. Reacting fast, all of them turned heel and bolted, zipping across the battlefield as fast as they could while the giant's knuckles ignited a hot orange as they burned up on approach, before eventually colliding with the very ridge they'd been standing on.

The shockwave that followed was nearly comparable to the one Gohan produced when he crashed on top of Lucoa- a tidal wave of earth, rock and ice exploding from the point of impact, which then rippled across the terrain in all directions. With the _Armoured Squadron_ so caught up flying and running away, they completely missed the wall of rubble thundering towards them, until they were eventually hit by the titanic shockwave and knocked screaming forward amidst the shower of rock and ice.

Tumbling and rolling through the nuclear-like shockwave that created another crater in its wake, the five warriors all grunted and yelped as they were battered by the gale and the rubble that hit them. Eventually, reaching the end of the wave, the elite fighters quickly righted themselves and spun around, landing on the ruined ground, and skidding to a stop. Amidst the dense cloud of dust that hung in the air around them as the shockwave from the tyrant's punch carried on, Gohan and his friends all gritted their teeth and glared up at the colossus of a man still towering before them in the horizon.

Yanking his enormous knuckles out of the ground and leaving an imprint that could've easily match the width and radius of a stadium, Lord Slug snarled as he then swung his left hand forward and extended all his fingers.

"_**COME HEEEEEEERE!"**_ he bellowed, before all five of his digits suddenly shot forward, arcing and stretching across the valley at an alarming rate.

As the fingers stretched towards the now on guard Squadron, the group watched as the individual digits suddenly split up and separated into smaller appendages. At first not knowing what was going on, the group's eyes widened when each of the multiplying fingers suddenly morphed and transformed into dragon-like monsters- with each beast resembling either Porunga or Shenron. Each of the lizards gave a menacing hiss upon their appearance, before all of them charged towards the five warriors and crashed into them.

Salza and Myra barely had enough time to produce their signature energy blades when Lord Slug's elephant-sized dragon fingers slammed into them- the pair of them using their sword and spear respectively to stop the beasts' talons from tearing them up on the first charge. Dore and Neiz meanwhile had to contend with the beasts with their fists, both of them shouting out in pain when the trio of dragons they were facing down ran them over, picked them up, and slammed both of them into the floor- pinning them beneath their massive claws as their jaws then attempted to take a chomp out of them.

However, with sheer brute force, tenacity, and quick reflexes, both the wrestler and the amphibian managed to hold back the sharpened mouths of the serpent-like familiars, as they used their arms and legs to push back the beasts clawing at them.

"W-What the fuck…!" Dore shouted, ramming his foot into what he hoped was the belly of the mini-Porunga dragon now attempting to rip his neck open, yet managing to keep its snapping teeth away. With his arms he held back the snouts of the other two, though was clearly having a hard time doing it. "How the hell… is he doing all of this… AAAAHHHHH!" He then let out a scream when one of the other dragons wiggled out of his palm and bit into his shoulder.

"Kai damn it… I hate magic!" Neiz also barked, his body becoming surrounded in lightning as he gave off a sharp and sudden burst of power, which managed to throw the two Shenron-like dragons off him and allowed him to spring to his feet. Before he could move however, the twin reptiles lunged at him again, forcing him to catch them with his arms. Though he was able to stop them from biting him, he was unable to stop their claws from piercing his skin, with the third dragon coming at him from behind and forcing him to stop it with the bottom of his foot. "GAAAAAAAAH! FUCK!"

Myra, growling as she rammed the shaft of her lance into the jaws of both the Porunga and Shenron look-a-likes in front of her, stopping them from biting her, the Hera-seijin then shouted. "Damn it! What the hell… *aaah*… are we going… to do now?!"

Hearing them even while being kilometres away with his head in the clouds, Lord Slug's laughter boomed as his fang-like grin stretched across the shadow of his enormous mug. _**"HAHAHAHA! Soon… you fools will be consumed… just like every other foe I've faced…"**_

Sadly, his advantage was not to last.

Gohan, holding back the three dragons that'd set upon him with his bare hands, growled and panted beneath the claws and teeth that were sinking into his limbs and torso. Glaring up through the blood trickling down his face and up at the monster of a warlord standing over the planet and attempting to devour his friends, the demi-Saiyan felt his excitement and rage burn all at once with a renewed vigour. His red aura continuing to pulse around him as his body was pushed back through the ground by the three large reptiles biting and clawing into him, the child then shut his eyes and concentrated for a moment, before his energy began to surge through him once more.

As his ki rushed through his body- empowering him and revitalizing him- many of his wounds started to heal and close. The result was his red aura intensifying and a hot, white steam beginning to gush out of his pores and fill the air around him. The dragons biting his arms noticed this and felt their eyes widen, with Lord Slug's smile also dropping when he sensed the child's power skyrocketing.

Huffing several more times as he filled his lungs with sweet oxygen, Gohan then snapped open his eyes, revealing his turquoise irises had now become empty and white, and were burning with so much rage that if he could, he would've killed with his look alone.

Inhaling sharply, Gohan let out a bloody, terrifying scream, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" His voice letting out a shockwave that caused the dragons holding him by the forearms and stomach to wince, the boy then followed up his battle cry by powering up, loading up his arms, and smashing the two Porunga dragons biting into his limbs. Knocking their teeth out and caving in their cheeks from his strikes, the boy then fired a blast at one of them and incinerated their head, grabbed the other when it lunged in at him, and dragged it over to his other arm.

The moment he had it in his grasp, the boy then bit into its neck and ripped it open, ripping up the flesh with several big chomps before tossing the writhing, headless reptile away from him. As for the dragon grabbing and biting his torso, Gohan grabbed its arms, lifted up his foot, and slammed it down into its body- cutting it off from the finger of the titan it was attached to in a splatter of purple blood and entrails.

Upon freeing himself from the three reptiles and spitting out the meat he still had left between his teeth, the boy- covered in purple blood- snarled up at the Namekian and got down onto all fours. His golden aura kicking up around him with such force he fractured the ground, under the stunned gazes of his teammates, he launched himself straight at the titan, whose jaw dropped when he saw the hybrid come streaming towards him with intent to kill.

Recoiling slightly when he saw the child zigzag left and right on his charge to turn his attention away from his companions, Lord Slug huffed angrily before widening his eyes and conjuring up multiple orange plasma balls around his shoulders and body. The spheres forming out of lightning and beginning to orbit him at speed, the Namekian then unleashed them at the approaching child in a hail of blaster fire.

"_**STAY BACK!" **_the titan barked, his attacks flying towards Gohan like bullets and threatening to shoot him down.

In a series of sparks and explosions, the demi-Saiyan powered through the plasma balls like they weren't even flying into him- smashing through them with his aura-clad body, dodging them, and even smacking them aside for the hell of it. His expression twisted in rage, Gohan continued to carve a path across the sky towards his target- his fists drawn back for a riot.

Continuing to fire his plasma balls as they were created, Lord Slug gnashed his teeth before thrusting his head forward and widening his gaze.

"_**NRROOOOAAAGGGGHHH!"**_ The warrior screamed, before firing two lightning bolts from his eyes that streaked through the air towards the child.

Gohan, gritting his teeth when he saw the streams of electricity cut towards him, then powered up before changing directions altogether- a thunderclap ringing out as he teleported out of there. When the two bolts of lightning missed their target, the Namekian balked before quickly reaching out with his senses to see where his little foe had gone.

Seconds later, his attention then turned skyward when he sensed Gohan reappear in the planet's orbit high above the atmosphere.

Reappearing in the vacuum of space, Gohan's aura blazed fiercely as he heaved in deeply and turned his attention toward the nearest moon. Giving himself a good, long face full of the nearest satellite's glow, the child drank in as much of its blutz radiation as he could before the white pupils in his eyes vanished completely. Red aura intensifying and flooding his golden aura with its furious shade, the child then clenched his fists, swung his arms and legs out, and howled at the top of his lungs.

Sending shockwaves blasting across the vacuum in all directions as his energy field expanded tenfold, the child then swung his body downward, loaded his legs, aimed himself toward the planet below, and dove straight towards it.

Shockwaves ringing out as his body picked up speed, the demi-Saiyan's golden and red aura blazed a trail back into the planet's stratosphere- his aura transforming into an inferno as it expanded and intensified on approach. As he plummeted towards the icy world and his target far below, the child, his aura catching fire as it smashed through the uppermost layer of the planet's atmosphere, swung his right foot down and took aim with his heel.

His body trembling as he blew through one level of the atmosphere after the other, Gohan tightened his jaw and poured all his built-up energy into his extended foot. "This is the strongest attack in my arsenal! A blow delivered with every last ounce of power in my body!" the child growled, veins appearing alongside his eyes and across his forehead as his golden hair whipped behind him from the gale of his energy tearing around his body. _"_The strength of this one kick matches the strength of the cataclysmic event that has annihilated countless lives across the entire quadrant! A super comet that obliterated entire moons, planets, and stars, leaving nothing but space dust in its wake!"

Myra, her eyes widening when she sensed the enormous power level fast-approaching from above, turned her gaze away from the twin dragons pushing against her energy staff and gaped towards the sky. When she saw the space above the planet turn blood red from the bright, golden glow that suddenly appeared, the Hera-seijin turned to her compatriots. "Oh shit… _**EVERYBODY BRACE!**_ _**INCOMING**_!"

Lord Slug, also sensing the boy's ki skyrocket, widened his stance, bared his fangs, and focused all the energy he could into his eyes. _**"BURN YOU IMPUDENT CHILD!"**_ he screamed, before unleashing a highly concentrated pair of lasers from his pupils that shot up through the stratosphere and towards what he could only describe as an approaching sun.

When the massive golden beams converged and slammed into the fast-moving fireball plummeting through the atmosphere, the attack was split right down the middle. Despite the insane amount of power the Namekian had unleashed, the Super Saiyan powered right through it as if it wasn't even there, cutting the beam in half until he came out the other side- still burning a path down towards his primary target.

Upon seeing his eye beams get shrugged off and the boy's burning form power through it, Lord Slug's jaw dropped. _**"WHAAAT!"**_ Panicking, the Namekian then did the only thing he had left in his arsenal and threw up as many telekinetic barriers as he could above him. Stacking his shields on top of each other one by one, the man formed a multi-coloured, transparent wall of barely visible energy over his head so thick that he was sure he could stop an exploding star's shockwave with it.

Gohan however was undeterred. His momentum having built up to the point that his aura had taken the form of a shooting star, the child- his skin blazing red and his white eyes glowing a hot gold- gritted his teeth before screaming over the howl of his re-entry. "I WILL SMASH EVERYTHING AWAY… AND BECOME THE COMET THAT KILLS THE STARS! _**HIGI -**_ _**GUMORI SUISEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEIIII!"**_ (Secret Technique – Comet Komori)

With one final, deafening sonic blast, the blazing child's foot collided head on with Lord Slug's shield- hitting it with so much force the shockwaves that he gave off sent rings of orange fire blasting across the planet's atmosphere for hundreds of miles in all directions, and fractured the ground beneath the Namekian's feet. The noise and blasts created by the boy's kick was truly biblical, causing the titan towering over the planet's southern continent to buckle, while at the same time forcing the warlord to release the hybrid's trapped friends from the bonds of the serpents he was pinning them with.

As Dore, Neiz, and Salza all bolted from the vicinity and the sky burning above them, Myra- joining them in their retreat- looked behind her and shouted. "DON'T YOU LOSE, GOHAN-KUUUUUUN!"

Focusing all his attention on the Super Saiyan, the Super Namek growled loudly as the first several layers of his shield shattered like glass under the boy's foot, while the plates that remained trembled as they attempted to hold back the cosmic force he had become.

Muscles swelling and sweat pouring down his head, the desperate Lord Slug screamed at the child he could see powering into his barrier. _**"I'LL SHOW YOU, CHILD! THE POWER OF A NAMEKIAN GOOOOOOD! GRAAAAAAAAAGH!" **_His arms returning to his sides and bracing tightly, the Namekian sent all the power he could into his shield and fattened it up. The barrier thickened and lit up a bright blue, creating a protective umbrella over the warlord's head as his nose burst a blood vessel and his right eye began to bleed. _**"YOU CAN'T STOP ME! NO ONE CAN!"**_

Gohan, his face twisting under the copious amounts of ki lifting off from his foot where the shield was warping, clenched his jaw and screamed back down at the titan before him. "WATCH MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Then, clenching his fists and sending one last surge of energy into his foot, the boy let out a scream that pierced the sky and gave the flames raging from his body a massive kick. "OOORRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The instant his aura blasted up into the thermosphere like the flames of a planet-sized jet, the final barrier above Lord Slug's head cracked before shattering into a thousand glistering pieces. Seeing the blue shield disintegrate beneath the sheer weight of Gohan's tiny foot caused Lord Slug's eyes to widen in disbelief, before the man watched in bullet time as the flaming Super Saiyan dove towards him and collided with the very centre of his forehead.

A blinding flash of white light and a whole five seconds of silence then engulfed the entire sector. When that moment passed, a thunderous explosion the likes of which only the Great Destroyer had ever been able to conjure, rocked the region as flames engulfed the entire bottom half of the planet and seemingly incinerated it. The blast was so great and so devastating that even the crew of Cooler's Seventh Fleet, which was now positioned on the furthest moon away from the ice planet, felt their ships rattle under the blasts that rolled over them.

The violent tidal waves of fire and wind generated from the point of impact knocked not only the members of the retreating _Armoured Squadron_ hurtling over the curvature of the celestial body, but Cooler, Lucoa and the rest of the group too. Every person that'd been left stranded on that desolate rock was caught up in the seismic tsunami and sent tumbling down a vortex of endless debris, which travelled far and wide over the valleys and stretched the entire circumference of the battered planetoid.

As if a gigantic meteorite had made landfall, everyone watching the scene from afar believed that the _Eclipse-I_\- the once proud and majestic vessel of Lord Slug's armada and his primary base of operations- had met its end in the most spectacular blaze ever witnessed by the Force. It truly was a sight to behold and one worth documenting for the history books.

However, when the blinding flash of the explosion faded and the torrents of flames finally lifted from the planet's surface, Kikono, Berryblue and everybody else on the bridges of the scattered ships saw, to their utter astonishment, that the world was still there.

Well… half of it at least.

The entire underside of the planet had, for lack of a better term, been completely obliterated. Nothing but a field of asteroids could be seen tumbling through the area of space where the bottom half of the icy satellite had once been situated and hanging precariously off the rest of its host. Everything that remained of the mobile battle cruiser was left suspended in place, frozen in the vacuum and seemingly dead to all of creation.

With clouds of smoke and ash blanketing the atmosphere, the once crystalized ice planet had been brought to an apocalyptic ruin. Dust and soot covered every square inch of the scorched planetoid, with even the shining, black citadel finding itself covered by rubble and debris. Due to the sheer magnitude of the blast that'd atomized an entire portion of the planet, it almost seemed like Gohan's ace in the hole had managed to end everything in his path.

However, despite the catastrophic force exerted by his move, the boy had been sharp enough to aim the brunt of his attack away from his friends and allies. When he dove down at Lord Slug, he'd managed to adjust his angle of impact, meaning that upon striking the ground beneath his target, he took out only the empty side of the planet.

It was well-aimed, especially considering what he had to fight to land the killing blow.

OOO

(Several minutes later)

Of course, despite Gohan's careful timing and delivery of his most powerful and devastating move, his team had still ended up getting clipped by a small portion of his attack.

As the dust continued to gently rain down from the atmosphere and settle over the planet's scalded surface, Myra, Salza, Dore and Neiz, all of whom had been separated in the wake of the eruption, ended up pulling themselves out of whatever piles of rubble and rock they'd found themselves buried under or embedded in.

Coughing, spluttering, and spitting up mud that'd gathered on their tongues, the team slowly but surely returned to their feet at their own paces, before quickly taking to the air and making their way in the direction of their compatriots. Using their senses to find each other through the fog and the gas, the four battered teammates- now covered in only tattered remains of what was once their signature uniforms- all met in the centre of a wide open and dusty field. The sand bowl provided them a comfortable landing spot, where Dore- who was gripping a notably dislocated right arm- collapsed to one knee after clumsily setting himself down.

The moment he landed before his still miraculously alive friends, the green warrior clenched his teeth, took a deep breath, and popped his arm back into place. A hiss of pain left Dore's lips, earning a round of sympathy stares from the rest of his mates.

"Ow…" As Neiz stepped over to help him up, the Beppa-seijin groaned as he looked up through the bits of ash and soot still cascading around them. "Bloody hell. Did you think the kid… *cough-cough*… may have overcooked it a little?" the man asked as he hooked his arm over Neiz's shoulders and was hoisted back to his feet.

Shaking out his extra-long locks of hair, the Captain of the squadron huffed. "Hmph. If he got rid of that smug prick, then I'm not going to complain," Salza answered, picking his ear and getting rid of some of the excess rock that'd found its way into it. After banging his chest and coughing out some more dust, the officer then looked behind him and scanned the field. "Well? Any sign of the little runt?"

"None," Neiz answered, watching as Myra stepped away from their circle and began to search the area. "With the amount of power he put behind that attack, the cataclysmic blast wave must've knocked him out cold. He could be anywhere."

"Well…" Dore wheezed, pushing himself away from his lanky teammate and beginning to limp across the dirt. "What are we standing around here for? Let's go find him."

On that the rest couldn't agree more. With Myra leading, the group once again levitated off the ground and began gliding across the battlefield. Ignoring the soot and debris drifting into their faces like hot snowfall, the group switched on their scouters and began working out the most likely locations their friend and teammate could've landed.

They scoured the entire countryside, keeping a tight formation as they arrived at the edge of the still intact half of the planet they were on, before beginning to follow its curve. For the next few minutes, they flew, analysing the landscape from up high while also taking shots of the destruction wrought by their teammate's planet killing move.

It was only when they arrived at the large crater at the edge of the mobile planet's dividing line that the group stumbled across an incredible sight.

The remains of the Titan Lord Slug, poised at the far end of the crater, away from the cliff where the planet's top half ended. When the four elite fighters landed near it and looked upon said remains, they saw that only the two massive legs of the Namekian were all that were left of the once terrifying tyrant. Everything else above the man's shins had been utterly and completely disintegrated in the explosion caused by Gohan's impact with his upper half, leaving only the man's gigantic boots behind as the final decaying shreds of his influence.

Walking around the skyscraper sized shins and the stadium size feet buried into the ground, Myra and the other members of her squad gaped at the incredible display. Taking the statuesque corpse from ground level, the group formed into a very loose line as they inspected the golden relics for but a moment, before their expressions eventually relaxed.

"I think… this means we won. Right?" Neiz asked, at the same time glancing across at his compatriots beside him.

Myra, taking a moment to reset, nodded, "It seems so."

"Oh… I wouldn't count on it, dear."

All at once, the four elites felt their eyes widen in horror at the sound of that voice, which echoed across the field from behind them. Wheeling around at once, the elite warriors all took defensive stances while their gazes snapped towards the source of the terrifying presence that'd fallen over them.

Sure enough, against every sense of logic, reason, and theory known to living kind, the group of warriors saw the dreaded Lord Slug float down from the ash-filled sky and land on the ground behind them. His bare feet sinking into the piles of soot blanketing the entire continent, the squadron watched in morbid disbelief as their enemy then slowly limped towards them, revealing himself in all his miraculously regenerated glory.

However, though the Namekian had managed to recover from the wounds inflicted upon him and had reverted to normal size, the damage done by Gohan's attack had left a very deep impression on his person.

Though he'd regenerated, his regeneration had failed to restore him to proper, fighting finesse. Due to the strain exerted on him and how badly his cells had been affected, half of Lord Slug's body had grown back mangled and emaciated. The entire right half of his upper body was thin, wrinkled, and warped, while the right side of his face looked as though it was melting off of his bones from the way it was hanging from his skull. Even his right eye had been scorched pure white.

Needless to say, this deformed, twisted form of the self-proclaimed tyrant was a far-cry from the bulky, brawling monster he once was. All the same, he was still a rather horrifying sight to behold.

Lips twitching as he threw the stunned group of warriors a sickly grin, the half-baked yet still imposing Namekian spoke in a hoarse and wheezy-sounding voice. "That… hurt like hell. Never in the last three centuries of my life… has someone ever… brought me that close… to the brink of death before. A truly amazing and valiant effort…" His grin then dropped when he saw the group take a shaky step backward. "But a failed effort nonetheless."

Salza, sweat pouring down his face, took a quick stock of the warlord's strength. Though his power had significantly diminished as a result of their prolonged battle, it was still greater than any of them. The man felt his fingers tremble as he stepped forward. "How? How did you manage to survive that?!"

Snickering, the warlord cocked his half-melted face to the side and sneered. "A secret I would've gladly shared with all of you… had you all decided to join me. The five of you could've ruled the universe together by my side." His smile then faded when he saw the group lower their stances and prepare for battle. "But I'm afraid… the only future waiting the four of you… is the dirt."

At once, Neiz, Myra and the others prepared to scatter to continue their battle. However, having grown tired of their little games of _Ring Around the Space Mulberry Bush_, Lord Slug decided right then and there to put an end to it.

Swiftly raising his mangled right hand and pointing his finger straight at the group, the Namekian stun-locked all four fighters instantaneously with a powerful, telekinetic grab. The second his hand swung up and a loud 'whoosh' echoed throughout the area, each member of the Armoured Squadron's eyes widened as their bodies froze and they were simultaneously picked up by an overwhelming, invisible force. Before they knew it, every one of them was now floating suspended several feet off the ground, with the Namekian glaring heatedly at them from several yards away.

Veins pulsing along his body as blood began trickling from his nostrils and eyes- clearly showing the strain of using the technique in his condition- the warlord panted a few times exhaustedly before growling at the four paralysed fighters.

"The humiliation I suffered at your hands will be returned in full," Lord Slug growled, saliva and blood trickling from the corner of his mouth as his finger shook from keeping his grasp on them. "Your struggles have proven to be a great deal of amusement for me. But I'm afraid your group's reign of victories ends _now_!" He then brought up his other hand, generated a golden plasma ball, and then promptly formed it into a long, narrow spear. Drawing it back, the man took aim at the Captain of the Squadron and prepared to end him with a single, decisive throw.

But then, the second the man stepped forward and made his throw, a sharp hum followed by a flash was followed by a golden disc flying in from the side- which not only sliced his spear in half, but also cut off his arm. A spurt of purple blood flying from his stump as his attack dissipated, Lord Slug's eyes widened as he stumbled back and looked down at where his hand used to be. "GAAAAAAGH! WHAT?!"

"NOOOOOOO!" the familiar scream of Gohan rang out, drawing his trapped friends' attention across the field, where they immediately spotted the hybrid diving down from the sky and blazing a path towards the warlord.

Lord Slug, his gaze snapping towards the approaching and still alive Super Saiyan, gritted his teeth angrily as veins appeared in his eyes. Not willing to get taken out by the boy as he saw his fist wind up and the distance close to within a literal three meters, the Namekian swung his still good hand around and instantly unleashed a torrent of orange lightning.

The blast being fired at such a close proximity meant Gohan had no time to dodge, the child getting hit square on by the attack and knocked flying back across the valley. Even after hitting the ground and being pushed across the floor, the enraged Namekian continued to fire off a constant stream of electricity into the child, cooking him with everything he had as he stomped towards the fallen child and intensified his blast.

Gohan, his nerves and muscles being set alight by the copious amounts of bolts rushing through his system, screamed out in agony as both he and the ground around him was torched by the concentrated storm.

"You! I will kill you first… _**boy**_!" Lord Slug snarled, letting loose another surge of lightning down the stream and causing a loud thunderclap to echo out. As a result, the waves of electricity engulfing Gohan intensified and brightened, smoke beginning to rise off the demi-Saiyan as he writhed and twisted on the ground, unable to fight back against the full and unbridled rage of his enemy.

The four members of the Armoured Squadron, fighting against the invisible binds in an attempt to free themselves and help their comrade, could only watch helplessly as the Namekian stomped towards him, while continuing to fry him with lightning.

"NO! GOHAN-KUN!" Myra cried out, her expression showing her desperation and panic as she heard the screams of her best friend reach her ears.

As the child's cries of terror and agony echoed across the sky and the lightning began to roast his skin, it seemed like the squad's streak had finally come to a horrible end.

But then, just as the grinning and seemingly victorious Lord Slug had closed the gap on the boy and was about to finish him, an orange glow suddenly felly over his green, mangled body, a split second before a blast of magma suddenly rolled in from the side and engulfed him. The roar of the blast swallowing him up stopped his lightning stream short and drew a scream of pain from the tyrant as he was knocked stumbling to the side.

The result of him being knocked off balance not only freed Gohan from his lightning net, but also liberated the four other members of his team. Salza, Myra, Dore, and Neiz dropped back to the ground and looked over at the scene in surprise, watching as the fiery beam dissipated and revealed Lord Slug covered from head to toe in lava-like slurry.

Body simmering, the panting and stunned warlord shook off the lava scorching his skin, before snapping his gaze across the valley. "W-What?!" The moment he uttered his stunned exclamation, he suddenly saw his slave and former secret weapon- Lucoa- leap into view from the furthest hilltop and slam into the ash-covered ground several yards from him.

Wings fanning and spines burning angrily, the dragon-girl bared her teeth at her former master and snarled at him through the steam gushing off her scaled, curvy body. "Leave… my… mate… _**ALOOOOOOOONE**_!" she bellowed, sending a shockwave into Lord Slug that smashed him back through the dirt, at the same time swinging both hands forward and unleashing a gargantuan, magma-like blast from her palms upon the warlord.

Eyes widening in horror, Lord Slug threw up his still good hand and summoned a dome shield around him, just in time to catch the lava blast as it smashed into his barrier and split against it. The beam possessed so much force that it caused the warlord's feet to slide through the dirt, sweat breaking out on his now scalded flesh as he now did everything in his power to hold back the girl advancing on his position.

"N-No! Stop this, you insolent beast!" Lord Slug barked over the roar of the girl's attack, his body throbbing as he poured more energy into his transparent blue shield. "I am your master! YOUR MASTER! OBEY ME!" he practically screamed as the anthropomorphic dragon moved closer and unleashed another surge of lava into his shield.

The Namekian, so preoccupied with holding off the girl's attack, he didn't notice a flash occur several yards behind him, before a bright red, narrow beam of energy slammed into his barrier from behind and began to tunnel into it. Eyes widening when he felt the pressure on his body double, the warlord looked behind him to see, to his disbelief, Zangya standing on the ground several yards away and unleashing a concentrated finger blast into him from behind.

The Hera-seijin snarled as she saw the warlord's stunned gaze turn to her. "You're not going anywhere!"

Expression showcasing his rage and desperation, the warlord swung his stump of a left arm around and increased the field at his back- shoving the head of the beam away. But then, just when he thought it was over, a third beam suddenly slammed into his shield above, and the Namekian looked up to see Prince Cooler hovering overhead and launching his signature Death Beam into his dome.

From there, as the three attackers continued to unleash everything they had to crack the field protecting the warlord, everybody else in the area decided to follow suit.

His golden aura blasting up around him, Gohan sprang up from the ground where he'd been lying and landed next to Lucoa. Growling loudly, the child then unleashed his _Kosen_ (Light Ray) against Lord Slug's shield and began to drill into it along with the others.

Myra, jumping to an open area in the kill circle, gripped her wrist and fired a thicker, red beam from two fingers towards the shield. Driving it into the dome, she rattled the energy field and added to the mounting damage. Her teammates Neiz and Dore took up positions from a higher angle, with the former cranking back her hands and launching a dense stream of purple lightning down at their target, while the wrestler began unloading a storm of energy blasts against the barrier in a rapid chain of fire.

As explosions and broken light began to ravage Lord Slug's barrier and cause the man's legs to buckle under the strain, dropping him to his knees, Salza flew around to another open portion of the circle, gripped his wrist, extended all of his finger, and began firing multiple purple energy blades into the centre mass. His attacks crashed against the barrier and cracked it in multiple places, causing the entire sheet of ki to tremble and fracture, weakening its structural integrity.

Lord Slug, his orifices beginning to bleed heavily from the strain of holding up his barrier, panted as his eyes darted around his field in a panic. Watching it crack and splinter all over, the Namekian gave one last push to try and hold back the waves of death bearing down on him. However, it soon became too much when, with a unified scream of effort, every single fighter formed in the circle around him let loose every last bit of energy they could muster down their attacks, with Gohan's finger beam transforming into a all-out blast as he used his entire hand to launch an attack that spread like a geyser and swallowed up the dome along with the other blasts.

With an ear-splitting crack, the shield surrounding the Namekian shattered, moments before his scream of terror was blocked out by an explosion so intense that the shockwave knocked all the attackers off their feet.

Despite the high concentration of energy, the explosion was contained to only a small area. The lowland beneath the towering boots of Lord Slug's former, titan form was subject to a fireball that fractured the ground and toppled one of the enormous limbs over. After a flaming mushroom cloud gushed into the air from the resulting blast wave, the howling winds once rippling over the region finally ceased, allowing the dust and ash being kicked up by the multi-beam struggle to finally settle.

Mounds of ash and dust cushioning their respective landings, the members of _Cooler's Armoured Squadron_, Lucoa, Zangya, and Cooler himself all rose back to their feet and staggered over to where their enemy had supposedly met his end. Arriving at the perimeter of the hundred-foot-wide crater, the group of warriors all looked down into the centre of it, in a hope of seeing nothing but a pile of ash and bones left of their stubborn quarry.

To no surprise of course, instead of seeing either of those, what they did spot was the absolutely blackened, mangled, and ravaged form of a still breathing and somewhat intact Lord Slug- kneeling in the middle of the crater in a barely conscious state with no arms, half a head missing, and both his feet burned down to two, useless stumps at the knees. The smoke rising off his charred, walking crisp of a body made him look like a piece of steak had been left over the barbeque until all the good bits had been turned as black as the coals that made it.

Hearing the man's ragged breathing fill the air, Gohan, Lucoa, and Zangya decided to hop in for a better look, with Cooler moving in a bit closer for an inspection. The former trio managed to walk to within a few feet of the distorted wreck of a man, with the demi-Saiyan narrowing his eyes hatefully upon the charred warlord to see his one good eye peer up at him through the smoke lifting from his torso.

Wheezing in pain, the Namekian then felt a grin tug at his lips before a sickly cough left his scalded throat. "Heh… *cough-cough*… you… *gasp*… got me…"

While Gohan glared silently at their foe, Zangya, stepping forward, then brought up her right hand and aimed it towards his face. "Now… you've lost…"

Body shaking as the stump that was his right arm crumbled off him and dropped to the ground with a dusty thud, Lord Slug chuckled weakly. "Ignorant fool. I may… *gasp*… have lost the battle. But the war… *gasp*… has just begun." Seeing the Hera-seijin narrow her eyes on him as a red ball of ki quickly began to form in her palm, the Namekian flashed them his blackened, fang-like grin one last time, before his right eye glanced towards Lucoa and Gohan. When he saw the Saiyan bear his fangs at him and the lizard-girl hiss, the man's eye widened manically. _**"Death… is no disgrace…"**_

When Gohan attempted to process what he meant by that, the boy's eyes widened before the Super Saiyan bolted towards Zangya and tackled her. "LOOK OUT!" he shouted, pushing the confused and shocked woman away from there as fast as he could.

But it was too little, too late.

In a blinding flash of orange light, Lord Slug's body unexpectedly and violently self-destructed, engulfing the crater he'd been kneeling in, in a dome-shaped blast that forced everyone in the vicinity to spring and jump back as fast as they could to avoid getting swallowed up by it. Unfortunately, Gohan, Zangya and Lucoa had been too close to the warlord when he used his last-ditch attempt to kill them, catching the trio in the explosion and seemingly incinerating them in a colossal wave of fire that stretched into the sky and parted the ash clouds around him.

When the tremors subsided and the shockwave dissipated, a stunned Salza, Myra and co scrambled to their feet and rushed back over to the fissure. Upon arriving at it and seeing that Lord Slug was no more, the members of the _Armoured Squadron_ looked around frantically.

"Gohan!" Neiz shouted.

"Little buddy!" Dore also called out, with Myra diving into the hole when she spotted something lying halfway out of its centre.

When she touched down and sprinted over to the mound of dust, she then stopped when she saw, to her astonishment- Lucoa's body draped over the forms of Gohan and Zangya, both of whom were lying underneath the unconscious and charred dragon with stunned expressions on their faces.

Apparently, at the very last second when Lord Slug's body combusted, the dragon girl had leapt after Gohan and wrapped her body around his to shield him from the catastrophic blast. Since Zangya was being shielded by him, Lucoa had ended up protecting both when her former master's body went up in flames and deepened the crater with a blast comparable to a concentrated nuclear explosion.

Unfortunately, the girl was unable to shield herself, and ended up getting knocked out cold by the explosion hitting her in the back. This left the reptile lying over the pair of warriors as both Gohan and Zangya sat up in the ash.

When the demi-Saiyan rolled the girl onto his lap and saw she was still alive, he then sighed in relief before deactivating his Super Saiyan transformation. A moment after he did, Myra knelt down beside the boy, took him by the shoulders, and wrapped him up in a hug.

As Zangya slowly stood up from under the cover formed by the hybrid and the dragon, Cooler and everybody else arrived. With Dore, Salza and Neiz flanking their leader when he approached the spot where the rest of the fighting force was gathered, the prince took a moment to inspect the battered troop, before quickly turning his attention to where Lord Slug had been kneeling minutes before.

Seeing nothing but a smoking hole and a blackened scar etched into the crater, the young Emperor felt his red eyes narrow before a sharp exhale left his throat.

"Over. It's finally over," the man sighed, a relief that was shared by all of the people there when they realized Lord Slug, the terror, was gone.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Author's Note:** FINALLY! Damn… this is the last time I do a battle this big and elaborate.

If anyone hasn't picked it up yet, the longer the battle is, the more dangerous and difficult the foe. Since I was focusing on so many conflicts happening all at once, it took a lot of effort bringing it all together like this. The entire Lord Slug Arc was perhaps my favourite arc to write for this story. Whether the Namek Arc that's coming up next will be as good remains to be seen. 😊

And we haven't even gotten to the Super Arc yet. Imagine how much of a monster Gohan will be when we get up to it. Though if you've been following me on paetreon and twittier, you guys will have a good idea.

* * *

**Power levels:**

**During the Lord Slug Battle:**

Salza – 27,000,000

Glamourous Salza (Gigantification x35) – 945,000,000

**Glamourous Salza (+ Cooler's Energy) – 3,450,000,000**

Myra – 26,000,000

Super Hera Myra (x50) – 1,300,000,000

**Super Hera Myra (+ Zangya's Energy) – 3,700,000,000**

Neiz – 24,000,000

Neiz (Raiken/Lightning Fist x35) – 840,000,000

**Neiz (+ Lord Slug's Lightning Absorbed) – 3,040,000,000**

Dore – 24,000,000

Buff Dore (Gigantification x35) – 840,000,000

**Buff Dore (Magically Healed + Magical Enhancement) – 2,800,000,000**

Gohan – 30,000,000

Oozaru Gohan (x10) – 300,000,000

Pseudo-Super Saiyan Gohan (x20) – 600,000,000

Super Saiyan Gohan (x50) – 1,500,000,000

**Super Saiyan Gohan (Zenkai) – 3,800,000,000**

**Super Saiyan Gohan (Enraged) – 7,000,000,000**

**Super Saiyan Gohan (Comet Komori Kick) – 15,000,000,000**

xxx

Lucoa (Base) – 25,000,000

Inferno State Lucoa (x50) – 1,250,000,000

**Inferno State Lucoa (Regenerated + Enraged) – 3,500,000,000**

xxx

Kida (Blue Fox) - 1,020,000

Riko (Brown Fox) – 1,015,000

Rei (White Fox) – 1,018,000

xxx

Cooler (4th/Final Form – 100%) – 400,000,000

**Cooler (4****th****/Final Form – Healed) – 2,000,000,000**

**xxx**

**Zangya (Healed) – 5,000,000,000**

**xxx**

Lord Slug, The Super Namek (Energy Absorbed) – 5,200,000,000

**Great Namekian Lord Slug – 6,000,000,000**

**Titan Namekian Lord Slug – 14,000,000,000**

* * *

**ANNOUNCEMENT:** If you guys didn't catch it before, but after months of labour I finally _**COMPLETED my GohanXZangya doujinshi on my paetreon**_. You can find the fully coloured copies on my paetreon and through DLsite – **GohanXZangya: Fiery Lake**. I also have two short comics of GohanXAndroid 18 and GohanXChi-Chi posted on my paetreon for anyone interested in checking them out.

For anyone wondering why I've been away from fanfiction for a while, my comics are my reason. But I'll still be posting as best as I can.


End file.
